The Org's Secret: Section F
by Usagi Squared
Summary: As the Black Org starts collapsing, Gin's boss transfers him to a seperate 'sector' of their organization- But is this place really a part of the feared syndicate? New bonds will form as Gin finds an enemy where he least expects it...
1. Authors Note & Prologue

From the Author: Hello everyone! Just a quick note before I leave you to reading this! (This is, and I cannot stress this enough, the ONLY authors note that will appear in this fanfiction!) First off, I started this quite a while ago- So many of you may notice that the begginging pales quite a bit in comparisson to later chapters once I get over this writters block and start updating again.

On a more important fic- related note... I have five things to cover before leaving you to your buisness. One, flames and critiques. There's a big difference between saying you don't like the plot, and telling me why. For those who simply don't like what happens later on, tough. Go read something else. For those who simply wish to tell me that conversations are hard to read, or the plot is moving to slow, please let me know! (I will listen!! But not until after chapter nine, as those are already posted.)

Two, Canon Characters- In much later chapters, Conan will show up, along with other people. For those characters, I will not hesitate to take comments on keeping them in character. However, after the first two-three chapters, Gin will start to get 'OOC', as his character changes. Also, to those who seem to think he's an endlessly killing maniac. Get a life. Yes, he is an assasin. And yes, he definitly has a few screws loose. But Gin is not going to go around killing anyone who annoys him. He'll consider it, but not beyond that unless ordered.

Three, Original Characters- You will find alot here, in the beggining anyways. But I would prefer if any complaints about relations stay quiet! I don't care if you dislike the fact that so-and-so is a character's second cousin. This is how the story goes. However, if there is something 'off' about the relation, for example, you don't think that the relative would react to 'so-and-so' in a certain way, let me know. I would like to keep characters as IC as possible.

Four, pairings. I'll list them now, and leave you to sulk if you don't like it. ConanAi, MitsuhikoAyumi (Implied really..)... And that's really it since no one else really shows up. Gin will always be alone though. Heeee...

And lastly five- Let me know what you think! Tell me what you like, what you don't like. Tell me if something's spelled wrong, or if you just think something could have been described better. With that, I start the actual fiction! (This note is almost as long as the prologue.. The first two chapters are always the shortest.. )

**Prologue – Those Who Are About to be Forgotten**

For some reason it was oddly quiet in the building that day- He later found out the reason for this of course, but even so, it was suprising.

"Transfer sir?" The cigarette almost fell from his mouth at the words his 'boss' gave him. Transfers only happened in extremely dire times, when the lack of staff was more important than other goals. Rare indeed. Gin looked over the file his boss had handed him while his boss nodded, the back of his chair facing him.

"That is correct Gin. Though you are more than capable of assasination, especially from long range, it seems that after the incident with Shuichi..."

"Shuichi was eliminated though. Unless there is someone else?" Sherry perhaps? No, she'd have to be an idiot to bring attention to herself like that. And Sherry was no idiot.

The boss spun the chair around, shaking his head. "No.. That is not the reason. For once it simply seems as though your secondary skills are required more than your first." Secondary? Wait, he couldn't possibly mean..

"You will have today to pack your things. Tonight at 9, a car will wait in the parking lot for you. You will take this car to Section F, where you will fill in as a scientist working on the correction of various poisons created in the past."

"Sir, isn't there someone more capable at this task than-"

"Gin.. You have heard the news correct? People outside are finding us.. More and more captured that must be killed before information escapes them. The Organization must go into lockdown. You can either go as a scientist, or go with a bullet embedded in your skull. This transfer is not merely a matter of capability.

"It is a matter of loyalty." Damn. The way he said this.. It was as though the section was a completely seperate country and he was the ambassador. Not to mention there wasn't much choice with the bullet comment.

"Understood." It was just a job, this was only temporary.. A few months, he'd be back to his usual assasination techniques. Picking up his files, he read over the last few lines before frowning. "... No smoking?"

"Ah.. Yes that would be correct."

"..... I will go pack in that case. However, if I could ask one last question sir.."

The elderly man across from him stared for a moment before nodding, Gin placing the files under his arm and crushing his cigarette in the ash tray. "Where exactly is this Section F? I have never heard of such a place."

Silence. And then a sigh..

"That Gin.. Is something even I don't know. Which is why this is a matter of loyalty.."

"Understood." With that he left the room, the words 'loyalty' ringing through his ears the entire walk to his car. For even the head of the branch to not know.. Section F was elusive indeed.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Room With No Windows**

Sounds of wirring machines surrounded the car as Gin tried fruitlessly to look out the window. Honestly, bad enough he couldn't drive his porsch to his new location.. But why did they use a vehicle with such dark windows?

"Oi, Ammaretto.. You mentioned that this building was kept hidden, but you haven't told me why as of yet. Hidden from public I understand, but even the Boss doesn't know where this place is."

From the glass 'wall' between him and his driver, a shadow from the front seat seemed to turn towards him. A rather prominent cowlick was seen, along with a pair of glasses clearly visible in the darkness of the glass. Strange.. That shadow seemed framilliar somehow.. Gin mentally shook the thought off, reminding himself that he had met the person out of the car as well. Framilliar as he looked, he most certainly wasn't someone he knew.

Amaretto, or Matsuda Shindou as he had introduced himself to Gin's suprise, sighed as he looked towards the back through the rearview mirror. The glass itself was not tinted quite like the windows, but was infact the equivalent of a two-way mirror. Turning his head slightly so his voice would carry better, he adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "Mah mah.. Gin-San.. The location of Section F has been secret for years and years, since the Organization itself began. The only one who knows about it aside from those residing there is the very head himself! And I thought I told you not to smoke in here!" He sighed once more as Gin scowled behind him, putting the cigarette out in the ash tray as Shindou looked to the front again. "And anyways.. Just because I know the location, doesn't mean I can very well tell anyone.. If I did, I would likely be killed!"

A nod from the back. That was how most things worked after all. No mistakes could be afforded in the Black Organization. The car stopped at this moment, and Shindou stepped out of the car, unlocking the other doors as well. Gin grabbed the handle of his door as well, stepping out to take in the surroundings. Rather.. Lack of surroundings. They were in an underground parking lot it seemed, and aside from the few lights dotting the place it was completely dark. The floor was extremely clean however, cleaner than any parking lot he'd ever seen.. Just how specific did they keep things here he wondered.

A click from the trunk of the car let Gin know that Shindou was beggining to unload his things. Taking them from the scientist's pale hands, he muttered a half-hearted 'thank-you' before the black haired man nodded and walked off to notify his higher up that the job was done. Before leaving however, he turned to look over at Gin, pointing towards the entrance he had headed towards.

"Ah.. Gin-San. Just take this door here. The scientists here share apartments onsite, and your roommate should be waiting." With that, he left through the door to his own buisness. Gin frowned slightly, gripping his two rather small bags and walking towards the door as well. Roommate? He had a roommate? At least he knew it wasn't the same person who just drove him here.. During a majority of the trip, the man had been trying to strike up conversation about the strangest things.

'Neh, Gin-San. Do you have any close relatives? It's not often someone willingly comes here..'

'Ah, speaking of relatives, many of those at the building have their famillies with them, maybe you could bring yours...'

'Ahhh no relatives then..'

The talking.. Was endless. On the bright side however, he'd managed to learn plenty about Amaretto. For one, the reason he looked framilliar was likely because of his relation to a detective named 'Kudo Shinichi'. Second cousin or something like that.. Hadn't seen the brat for 10 years however appearantly. It was odd however, Gin decided, that he couldn't completely remember who Kudo Shinichi looked like until that point. Then again, probably killed the brat, so that was probably why. (But shouldn't that have made the papers..?)

In any case he thought, opening the door to a spacious white room, it really didn't matter much anyways. 'Kudo Shinichi' was dead, and out of the organization's way. At least Amaretto didn't seem to hold a grudge for it. A row of chairs sat against one of the walls, a small table in the middle of the room itself. It seemed he was standing in a lobby... With no windows. Taking a seat in on of the chairs and crossing his legs, he stared over at the small table across from him. A bowl of flowers sat on it. And the were clearly well cared for.

What kind of person in a science lab had time for that..?

"Oiii... You Gin?" He looked up, as a young woman with tanned skin and a lab coat walked over to him. She did not look that professional.. At all. A tube top, baggy jeans.. What the hell did this woman do in the labs, chew gum and watch movies? Her hair was dyed red at that.. ..... And hadn't Amaretto mentioned he would meet his roommate in the lobby? "...I'm Shochu, your roomie.. But for GOD'S SAKE call me Inuhen, or even Ookami, I hate my codename.."

How high were the chances of the second meeting involving someone who refused to be called by their code name? Most in the organization saw it as an honor when they recived theirs.. And too find someone who absolutely detested it? Amazing. ....Hang on a second.. A female roommate?

"...." He decided to keep silent on that subject.. Nothing good ever came from arguing with women after all. "Very well.. So then, where is the apartment?" The woman infront of him grinned as he stood, the face somehow framilliar to his own for a moment.

"Ehehe.. Just follow me Gin-san~ Try not to get lost eh?"

"...." Resisting the urge to glare too much at his 'roommate', Gin grabbed his bags and nodded. Following behind Inuhen, they walked towards the elevator and stepped in. The elevator itself was made of glass for some reason, and yet it was still completely surrounded by concrete and metal. Standing in silence as the elevator rose, a small -ping- rang out as they reached the destination. Walking out into the hallway, Gin noted how yet again there were no windows. At all. It was rather odd..

She had to be drunk. "There arn't windows here because windows are a treat for those here- You never know what could happen with a window anyways I mean.. You could fall out, you could crush your fingers.." As the red-haired woman infront of him rambled on, Gin continued adding things to the list of reasons why as soon as he could, this person would be first after a certain ex to be killed. One of them involved getting carelessly drunk. She must have been after all, why else would she act like this? Her voice brought him to his attention once more however, as she stopped outside a door with the label 'Oak'. "Heee.. The boss thought it would be clever to give the apartment's tree names yea? ...And by the way, you got lucky~ I happen to have a window~"

If the biggest concern here was windows.. One really had to wonder what kind of people worked here.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Of Pocky and Assasins**

It was an ok apartment he admitted. Clean in any case, though the sudden view of natural light, however little (It was dusk it seemed), threw him off a bit. Inuhen walked in first, pointing to her right before taking a seat on the couch almost directly beside the window. "Your bed is over there, along with a more detailed file about what you have to do here..." The woman yawned, before laying back on the couch into a position that rendered it impossible to see Gin's slightly questioning stare. "Just don't bug me, I was up all night and day up till now, and I wanna sleep..."

With that she left a just slightly confused Gin to his own actions and fell asleep. Amazingly fast infact.. Shruging it off, Gin walked over to the room that Inuhen had pointed out, placing his bags by the bed and taking in the suroundings. It was simple, like all in-building bedrooms. He hadn't stayed in one for years though.. Not since his days as 'trainee', long before he'd ever gotten his codename. The bed sat by the back wall, a side table next to it. There was also a dresser opposite the bed, and a desk a little ways from the dresser. And everything was white and pale blue.

What was wrong with these people... Walking over to the bed, Gin picked up the file that neatly lay across it, taking a seat in the chair at the desk. It would be easy to read at least- It seemed that the building was very precise in how they did things, that much was clear from the way he had been driven there. Opening the file, which bore a single label reading 'conditions', he read the first few pages in an attempt to find out just what was required. Interest quickly turned to annoyance however, as the first page really wasn't much.. At all..

To Whom it May Concern;

It seems you've become the first transfer to our wonderful Section F of the Black Organization! Congratulations!! Don't think things will be the same though! It's not as though you were just transfered from Section A to B! We who run the buildings here have created a set of simple rules based on behavioral things that we have reasearched about you. Hopefully they won't be to hard! This is just something to let you know about before the actual briefing of your new position as scientist here. Good Luck!~

Please wear the white lab coat. We know you like black. But it's required to keep in uniform. You can wear whatever you want underneath it anyways, you could wear as much black as you wanted! But it has to be worn under a WHITE lab coat. Please realize that we will only pay for damages to suits when accidents in the lab occur- We could really care less if you ruined your favoirite turtle neck! (It's blue isn't it?)

Don't wear your hat when at work, or indoors. There's really no point, and it clashes with the lab coat anyways.

You can wear your black boots though!

No smoking! Who knows what could happen if one of those fell while in the lab! It's best to stop it altogether really, so that you don't need it while at work though. Your team members (All scientists work in teams of four!) will make sure you don't have any cigarettes with you.

Please try to come to one of the social nights here. They're in room B104. It would be nice if you spoke to people outside the apartment at least once after all!

Don't try to repaint your room. We heard you don't like white yes. But that doesn't matter. If you try to paint anything, you have been warned... Punishment is severe, and depending on the offense, you could end up as one of our temporary test subjects! (We wouldn't want that after all.)

No fire arms please! There's nothing for you to shoot here anyways, and if you really want to you can participate in paintball night on Tuesdays! Otherwise don't, or we'll have to have people serch you.

Please tie your hair back! It wouldn't do to get it caught in macheinery or chemicals!!

That's it! Not much, it shouldn't be hard right? Your roommate, Shochu, will be pleased to aid you with any other questions you have! (But we're quite sure that you'll have none. After all, with the maps included in this file, you'll be ready to start work within a day!)

Gin blinked at the page he read. It came.. Complete with diagrams. And how in the hell did they know his favorite colour and sweater colour? And human test subjects from the scientists.. How could that be temporary, wouldn't some likely end up dead? Blinking with suprise, he flipped the page, happy to see some actual legible material. Skimming through, he soon finished the file with only a small bit of information logged. So much for information..

As of now, he knew this: He had been chosen because of the lack of trustworthy scientists, and the fact that not only were his loyalties more than proven, but he happened to have genetic sciences as his second skill. Something he knew before even being driven her. The second thing was that he would not be briefed on a project he was working on, as they only worked on certain things for a few days at a time, unless it was a large scale project. Wondering what they did that only took a few days, he ignored this, as the file stated that they would be given files on it the day they started anyways, so why bother? Another thing was that the day was relatively short. Work was from 8 – 5, and no more no less. Very strange comparred to.. Her.. work. Spontainous bouts of work at erratic hours, and she still had shown no sign of breaking. And he hadn't even been the one setting the hours.

He placed the file on the desk, frowning. He wouldn't be able to continue his hunt for her now would he. It figured. The one person he truely wanted to kill just to forget about would be burned into his mind for years. Hell, if he killed the bitch he'd likely still remember her face. She had a habit of being that stubborn..

A mumbled voice from outside the room snapped him from his thoughts, Gin ignoring it as he looked at the clock that sat on the side table. 10 PM... It was already 10? He frowned, grabbing his bags and opening them. If he was going to have to wake up at 7, he'd mind as well unpack everything and sleep right after that. Silently putting clothes in the drawers of the dresser, hanging up a few articles in the closet, he blinked as he grabbed the next thing in his bag.

Shampoo. Odd, how could he have forgotten one of the more important things to do before sleep.. He must have really been out of it. Ignoring Inuhen's odd mumblings ('Pancakes on wendsday...' she muttered before silencing herself once more.), he walked out of the room in search of the bathroom. Shower first. Then sleep. His hair wasn't going to clean itself after all.

The morning came far to quickly for Gin in his opinion. The alarm clock had appearantly been preset for 6 AM.. Really, he knew he had lots of hair, but cleaning hair didn't take THAT long in a shower. He wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep now though..

Numbly getting out of bed and grabbing a change of clothes, he walked over to the shower he'd found the night before. Like everything else, the bathroom was simple. He'd put his shampoo in the box near the shower the night before, along with anything else he'd need in here. Placing his clothes on the counter, he locked the door before getting ready for the shower itself. It didn't take him that long- 30 minutes was the longest if he tried to take a long time. Had anyone known just how long it took they probably would have asked if he actually got everything clean.. Which he did of course, just faster than most.

The warm water was soon cut off as he finished. Stepping out and drying off, Gin quickly got his clothes on and started brushing his hair. Many had once asked why he never cut it- In all honesty he just didn't see why he needed too. Yes, hair could be used as evidence against him... But really, the only way to avoid shedding a single hair would be to shave oneself bald and he wasn't about to do that. Besides, he was used to the weight by now.. Cutting it would take a long time to get used too. The mirror infront of him was a cupboard it seemed- Putting his shampoo and conditioner in there, he noted a small box that hadn't been there before. Taking it out, he grunted with slight suprise and read the note ontop of it.

'Yo, 'Gin'. Two things. First, what the fuck is your name. It would help to know. Two, here's some elastics. You'll thank me in the end. - Ookami'

Well. The first was straight to the point wasn't it? Ignoring the question, he pulled out one of the elastics (It was red), and tied his hair back. It was a bit more difficult than most would think.. But if someone thought about it, trying to pull that much hair through a small elastic multiple times without being able to see what you were doing would get challenging. In the end, it was very loosly held back, some strands of hair still lazilly hanging above his eyes. The only part of his hair that he trimed- Otherwise he couldn't see. That made sniping difficult really.

"Oi! Gin! Get out already, I want a shower too!!" That would be Inuhen.. Grabbing the rest of his things, he opened the door to just barely avoid a fist that should have come in contact with the door.. Instead, it hit the air directly to the left of his head. "Oh. You're done." Glaring at the woman as she slid past, he walked back to his room to grab what he needed. Lab coat.. And that was it really. God, it was strange not grabbing a few guns and knives to strap on the inside of his coat or something..

Walking back out of the room, he found his way to the kitchen, looking around to see what sort of food there was. From what he could tell there was definitly a large variety.. Not that he really minded, as he could really careless what he ate so long as it wasn't poisoned and tasted alright. Grabbing a pack of instant oatmeal and a bowl, he got his breakfast ready and sat down on one of the stools, waiting for Inuhen to get out and have her own breakfast. He didn't exactly know where he was supposed to start work.. If she knew, it'd be nice to know now so he could get to it.

"Fuck, you're still there? Damn. Hoping you could go find the place on your own or something.." Looking up from the oatmeal at Inuhen (Who barely had the labcoat on really, as it hung from her shoulders.), Gin blinked with annoyance before swallowing the last bits of his breakfast. This woman.. Swore far to much..

"It's rather difficult when I arrived only yesterday." Best try to be somewhat polite he decided- There were likely audio taps in here, if not visuals in certain areas as well. They were paranoid enough to give his 'escort' a biodegradeable bomb.. Buttoning his lab coat up, he watched as Inuhen walked past to the fridge, grabbed a yogurt container, a spoon, and then left towards the door. Eating breakfast on the go? From what he could tell everything was in one building wasn't it?

Inuhen's strange yellowy eyes narrowed as she held the door open. "Come on, we're late.. The building's a hell of a lot bigger than it looks, weren't you wondering why we woke up so early?"

Refraining from answering (If looks could kill.. He'd have to turn away so that he wasn't 'fired') the rude woman, he walked out into the hall and began following her. At the same moment an oddly framilliar voice came from behind, accompanied by a rather quiet one.

"Ah! Gin-San, you're on our team as well?" There was Shindou.. He looked oddly happy, bearing a grin that in no way suited his actual form. The woman beside him in the meantime simply smiled, laughing nervously as she gripped a pile of papers under her shoulder.

"Ahaha.. Shindou, we are late enough as is.."

Shindou turned to the woman, blinking before grining once more. "Oh.. Right!" Coughing, he gestured with his hand towards Gin before speaking again. "Tenshi, you have heard of Gin correct? He will be on our 4-man team for the next while. Gin, Tenshi is my roommate. I hope we all get along alright!" Gin's first thoughts on Shindou after meeting him again.. Too optomistic than could be healthy. With that in mind, the four headed off for whatever assignment they had for the day, the three chatting it up while he busied himself with memorizing the many halls and rooms they passed. It would do no good after all, if he ended up lost at some point in his time here. Embarressing as it was.. It could very well happen.

The walk itself was taking a while. The building must have been created to be some sort of miniturized city from the feel of the distance. It was certainly bigger than any building he'd been in before. So focused he was on getting a grasp on just what the building was, he found himself crashing into something barely above waist level.

"What the hell!"

"FUCK!" Gin looked down at the source of an extremely loud voice, staring in shock as a boy that was likely no more than 11 stood up and brushed dust of his black pants. The boy seemed to have long hair covering half his face before falling back.. A long candy stick between his teeth... And to top it all off, he had green eyes. While Tenshi and Shindou helped the boy up ('Dammit! I can handle myself!'), he really couldn't help but stare at the kid as though he was from some seperate planet.

"Ah.. Gin? Gin?"

He blinked as Shindou waved a hand in his face, eyes returning to a light glare before he responded. "What?" Shindou in turn merely smiled nervously before motioning towards the boy he'd run into. Said boy was currently munching away on pocky and gathering up the file papers he'd dropped.

"This is Saki-san, one of our assasins. Specifically, he snipes. I thought you should know who you ran into is all.." A laugh, before the kid himself spoke up, a rather odd and childlike look on his face as he grinned. It really didn't suit him somehow.. "And Saki-san, this is Gin alright?"

An awkward silence settled as the boy looked up at his older double before speaking. "... Call me Sake ok?" He paused before muttering something about idiot bosses having no sense of humor when it came to codenames, before walking off in the direction that Gin and the others had come from. As he walked however, one could clearly hear 'definitly a transfer' from the boy, Gin merely narrowing his eyes before turning back to the others. Silence settled, and after Tenshi finally muttered something about getting on their way, they headed off again. In the end, it was Inuhen who broke the silence.

"So. How'd it feel meeting your miniture doppleganer? Pretty creepy eh?"

"....." He decided not to say anything again, ignoring the light frown from the woman beside him before changing the subject to something else that he'd noted. "That boy. He can't be older than 11 and he's already under codename?" Codenames were an honor in the organization. What had that child done to earn one? And to throw out comments against it so easilly.. What kind of place would allow that?!

It was Tenshi who responded to this while Inuhen unlocked the door before them and led them inside. "Actually.. Jino-Kun is one of a scarce few special cases. His familly requested he took the exam early, and since he passed, he had the right to a code name.. I don't belive the exam is taken outside of this section though, so it's not suprising that you've never seen someone this young with a codename.."

With those words in mind, Gin nodded. True, there was no exam for this sort of thing- Agents earned the codename by work and 'good behavior'. At least good for the higher ups anyways. But if it was laid out by the head of the organization itself, then he was sure that the boy would have earned the name somehow.. Unbeliveable as it was.. Shindou's voice broke him out of thought again, the man handing him a small file before speaking.

"By the way Gin.. Why are you so formal?"

For one of the few times in history, Gin looked suprised. That question was definitly not expected. Formal? He was biting his tongue to keep from attempting to slash out their throats with a scapel. Figuratively of course. He would never consider killing off a loyal member without orders.. Such thoughts warranted death. Still holding back a rather harsh few comments (Such as questioning the fact that they all called each other by name..), he instead decided to calmly read through the file and respond without a single glance up. "Formal? What gave you that idea Amaretto?" It couldn't be how he addressed them, as that was protocol last time he checked.. And he definitly wasn't anything more than tactful by keeping his mouth shut.

The group moved towards one of the tables, Inuhen setting up whatever they were to work on while Shindou continued the conversation, Tenshi also joining in. "It's true," she said quietly as she folded her files back up, "You haven't addressed any of us by name, and you have been acting as though you are constantly being watched by the boss himself.."

Shindou nodded in agreement to this. "It's not as though the boss isn't human you know- He's not going to shoot you for having casual conversation any more than he would shoot Saki-San for speaking ill of his codename- It's only natural after all! Look at how similar it sounds to his surname!! I certainly wouldn't let that by!" He laughed, Tenshi chuckling as well while Gin merely stared. These people.. No, this entire building. It was definitly not in anyway similar to the other sections of the organization. That in mind, he and the others slowly got moving on the day's work, stopping only for a short lunch break before continuing on. Aside from the fact that they kept attempting to make small talk with him, the day went rather well. If he could just find a room to practice sniping and fireing techniques in now, then he might even be a bit happy.

That feeling could only last so long..

"So, Gin-San... You decide what special group night you're going to? Because I'd love to see you at a kareoke if you decide on that one..." Inuhen seemed to be cackling as she said that.. Gin's life had just gotten a few thousand times more difficult.

Someone up above definitly wanted him to suffer.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Week Was So Peaceful Though..**

After three days, Gin had settled into a regular routine. Wake up, shower, eat, brush teeth, and leave. Avoid Sake. Go do whatever experiment or project he was supposed to do.. And then at noon eat something quick before going back to it. After that, go and see if he can find a fireing range.

This is quickly followed by getting rejected with the statement, 'You don't NEED a fireing range, you're not here for that sort of thing.'. Did they think he would shoot them in their sleep or something? After this, he would go 'home', eat supper, brush his teeth again, and then quietly read a book in his room on various different things. One was stalking, another poisoning, another avoiding both aforementioned topics.. His taste in books couldn't be questioned that much could it?

After all this, it was simply shower and sleep at 10, since mornings were rather unpredictable- The second morning here, he had been woken up at 4. He really needed to find out how Inuhen was doing this.. He'd blocked the door each night, he swore he had. Had they actually needed to wake up at this time of course, it wouldn't be such a problem. He'd be upset, yes, but it was all for work after all. However, each time this had happened (It only took two times, and he knew..), he could clearly make out the '8-5' hour timeline on the sheet.. As well as the location they were to work at. It was NOT a 2 hour walk after all.

This evening however, it seemed that Inuhen had more than just 'fixing' his alarm clock in mind. Standing infront of the hallway and thus blocking his way in, she quickly grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door. Had it not been for the fact that her strength was liable to break his arm (What WERE they training with??), he probably would have complained more than he currently was. As it was however... What with the position she was in when she first grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him..

"W-What are you-" The position was not only uncomfortable, but it made him think of two situations. One, was that had this been a certain other scientist, specifically one who had been first on his 'agents to off' list, it probably wouldn't have been that bad. Partially because it would likely have been followed by something completely different from what Inuhen likely was about to do.

The other was that, if those were infact Inuhen's intentions, he was screwed. It didn't help that the woman barely wore anything, and that she made it her every intention to either attempt to embaress him (It normally didn't work, but now.. He really needed to find out who was on duty for watching the apartment cameras.), or simply make him act in anyway different from his usual cold and silent self. Something she had yet to succeed in. Until now.

Inuhen took that moment to lean her head down just by his ear, further increasing the awkwardness of the situation, before whispering in a frighteningly seductive voice; "You're coming with me whether you like it or not... Gin-_chan_."

Ignoring the 'Chan', he had soon found himself pulled up and dragged outside, many others in the hall staring and laughing as they went. Number of agents on his shoot list- A hell of a lot more than 2.

"Shochu..." Gin had finally been released after he swore not to run. As if he would.. He'd knock Shochu out, and then calmly walk away. However, now that he'd given his word.. Much as he hated it, he kept his word, so he was willingly following the dark skinned half down the hallways and up three flights of stairs. "Where exactly are we going..."

Inuhen simply grinned and held the door to the hallway open, leading Gin out into a hallway that, unlike the others, had windows much like most normal buildings. Ignoring Gin's questioning (And likely annoyed and angered) look, she simply kept her mouth shut until they reached room 'B104'.

He instantly knew. What was today now.. ..... What did they do here again? Without warning he was mercilessly shoved in by an extremely strong Inuhen, and into a rather large auditorium filled with people. On the stage of the auditorium, sat a rather large white screen, which in turn was connected to a projector. This could not end well. As Inuhen entered behind him, two of the closer agents instantly took notice of the newcomers.

"Ahhh.. Someone new Ookami?"

"Mah mah.. Don't tell me you dragged him here.."

Both of the men who commented were instantly smacked in the head with a clipboard that Inuhen had been carrying around. "Tch! He walked here if you must know. And don't ask his name, he won't tell you." That said, she turned to Gin and motioned for him to take a seat. "As for you.. Friday is movie night at Section F, I figured that you should know where it all takes place. And we're watching 'The Ring' by the way." With that she went behind him, pushed him into a seat, and handcuffed him to the chair before walking off to the front. This took all of 10 seconds.

What were the scientists doing that he was missing?? They would make incredible hitmen if they weren't needed in the lab if he was right.. Although having Inuhen (Hang on.. Shochu, shochu. Not Inuhen.) as an assasin was a scary thought.

The screen ahead went black suddenly, and the movie began. Holding back a sigh of exasperation (He'd really rather sleep.. Or read depending on the time.. And he needed a shower..), he gave in and started watching the movie.

It wasn't like this would happen all the time after all right?

Gin's days since that time changed his daily schedule drastically. It seemed Inuhen wasn't content with one movie night, much to Gin's horror. So far he'd been forced to sit through not only a movie, but kareoke, a cooking course (He spotted Shindou there for some reason, but as soon as he questioned him, the scientist ran off to the opposite side of the room.), a paintball event, a 'game night', some sort of attempted ritual to contact the dead via ouija board... Which was completely beyond him.. And lastly there was a talk circle where everyone basically just talked about their life. Aside from paintball (Which he enjoyed greatly- Shooting people with paintfilled bullets had never been so relaxing until then..), the last one was the only bearable one really.. At least he could say 'pass' and wait for the time to pass. Although movies were easy to sleep through as well when it wasn't horror..

As of now however, the schedule was permanently changed. Partially because somehow, no matter what he did, Inuhen seemed to find him. Also because she'd managed to replace his written one with a permanently fixed paper listing the changed events.. He was going to kill that fox someday.. Until then however, the paper glued to his door (Also permanent unless he wanted to rip the pain off. Which he didn't.), now read..

Morning Routine

Wake up with the alarm clock

Grab change of clothes and shower. (Be sure to clean hair )

Brush hair .

Get dressed

Eat breakfast

Leave for whatever you have to do in the lab

Make sure you eat lunch when it's time!!

Finish your work and come back.

Put your stuff away, and eat supper.

Go with Inuhen to the group night. Bring spare clothes for games night and paintball night, as games night could involve the pool.

Come back and shower. Don't forget to clean hair .

Put on some pyjamas and sleep!

As if scratching out 'of evil' multiple times wasn't enough... (Really, what kind of maturity did the woman have if she was working here? She should act more her age.)

This was severly out of character....

The week proceeded to go rather heticly after 'work' for obvious reasons. First, on Saturday, the night of 'Games Night', they had decided to play Clue. Most of the cases were blatantly obvious to him, but as he was sitting out (He did NOT want to get involved in such things.. ), he could only watch and mentally slap his face. How annoying. It was then that Shindou showed up and asked him if he wanted to join them for dinner on Sunday.

He regretted it instantly. Shindou's girlfriend could not cook at all.. He managed to leave rather quickly with Shindou provided he join him for a cooking course. Much as he disliked going to the 'social night' yet again, he had to admit to himself that this one would be useful. At least in terms of self-preservation should he be dragged to Tenshi's appartment by Inuhen ever again. (Knowing his luck, that would likely happen quite often. Inuhen seemed to be very fond of Tenshi.)

After this came 'Talk Night', which he found informational if not boring. While he muttered pass and was ignored, he also listened to the other's little speeches. He likely knew more about them then they did themselves as a result. How sad.

Tuesday brought with it Paintball. Oddly enough, he felt himself looking forwards to that night- Not because it was paintball but rather..

"KYAAH!! DAMMIT GIN, YOU HIT ME AGAIN!"

"OW! FUCK!! .... AH!! THAT WAS MY LAST POCKY STICK!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING AWAKE SAKI!?!"

"LIKE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO- OW!!! DAMMIT GIN!"

Because it was one of the few ways he could shoot everyone and get away with it. He could vent out his anger as much as he wanted, and they couldn't blame it on him! Not to mention that the only real difference between their paintball guns and actuall firearms was the lack of gunpowder and the paint filled bubbles in the place of bullets..

But oh, did those bubbles hurt!

Wednesday was rather odd.. The moment he walked into the room (Inuhen close behind should he try anything.. Though at that point he'd given up anything instant, and was now plotting ways to solve the problem for the long run.), he was told that he would probably want to sit by the owamori's during the entire night. He ignored this of course (They were right beside the ring of people that was gathering in the center of the stage.), but the entire time felt an extremely cold feeling down his spine. Oddly enough, the group was trying to summon some sort of ghost..

He had been feeling ill since that day. While he wasn't superstitious, he was sure that something from that night was the cause.

Thursday brought the final night that had remained unknown to him- At least until he remembered Inuhen's comment on 'Kareoke'. It. Was. Horrible. Everyone in the room (Which was quite something since it WAS an auditorium.) had instantly decided to make it their ultimate plan to get him to sing at least one song. It didn't work of course.. But that certainly didn't stop them from trying. Infact, it wasn't until Inuhen suprisingly enough stood up and threatened to castrate anyone who asked again that everyone left him be. Later, when he decided to ask why exactly, she simply told him that he'd sing sometime, just not now.

That grin was not healthy.

Nonetheless, Gin was definitly grateful in someway that she had done that. At least he had 15 minutes of peace during the final parts of the night... Now if he could just sleep...

She did this on purpose he was sure..

It had almost been four full months since Inuhen started dragging him to the social events. Friday morning Gin woke up about the usual time and followed his schedule (Which he did not, contrary to what Inuhen may have belived, need to read from a list.) as he normally did. Precision was required to keep a relatively calm and sane lifestyle after all- Something he was quite sure most people in the building lacked. The day passed without problems.. And to Inuhen's suprise, the once assasin actually went 'willingly' (Read, decided not to risk getting his arms broken.) to the social night.

They were watching the Godfather Series. The entire thing. He almost cried tears of happiness, before deciding to hold his image and sanity close. The Godfather series.. How long since he'd had time to actually sit down and enjoy those films? Ahh.. Those had been good times. Not counting the other events of his life at that time. He'd been a trainee.. Those. Those were NOT good times, what was he thinking!

-click!- The screen went blank, before the framilliar scene of Connie's wedding came appeared across it. Gin had to smile as the film started up- Finally something worth watching...

Walking back to the apartment, Inuhen seemed very interested in the rare, rare smile she caught on Gin's face leaving the room. It was about an hour's walk from the apartment to the auditorium. And Gin was beggining to dread every minute of it. It was already late (Rather early, considering that the films had gone well beyond midnight.) enough as it was.. By the time they got back, Shindou would probably be getting up to do whatever it was he did on saturdays.

"So Gin-_Chan_~" She giggled as she walked ahead of him, turning occasionally to grin at him before leading the way back to the apartment. Was it just him, or did she use a different route each time? Damn.. You could really get lost in this place.. "You liked the movie I take it?~"

He swore she had to be drunk again.. "Stop using 'chan' with my name... It's very degrading." Would death threats really be passed off lightly around here? He still wasn't sure.. All he knew (As Inuhen mentioned in the first day) was that every room had audio and visual survailance. Only choice apartments lacked Audio, even fewer visual, (Although the visual was taken out of the bedrooms and bathrooms, as neither would have windows anyways really.. ), and the only places that didn't have survailance at all were a few labs and disposal areas. Though according to Tenshi, there was a section in the garage that had a faulty camera. So for the moment, he kept the death threats and heavy glares to a minimum.

"Alright then...." The woman smirked as she said that, turning towards her door as she did.

"...."

"Gin-Chan~"

Rggg... He wasn't about to keep from glaring completely however. Truely, his 'room mate's sanity was to be quest-

"....?" Something orange seemed to hang from under Inuhen's labcoat as she turned the key and walked into the apartment. Gin blinked, wondering if watching more than nine hours of film straight did something to his eyes. No.. It was still there.. Watching as Inuhen bent over to place her shoes along the wall, he continued to stare with mixed shock and suprise as what was undoubtedly a large _tail_ began to swish in ways impossible for any metal structure to make. But it had to be fake, after all... People did not sprout tails within seconds for one thing.

"Ah.. Inuhen.." Inu- Ag.. Slip of the tongue. He silently cursed himself as the woman stood, seemingly oblivious to the extra limb swinging behind her. The look on her face was both pleased and suprised- Something he could understand, seeing as how he'd managed to keep from abiding to most of the agent's wishes to call each other by name until that point.

Inuhen blew a few strands of red hair out of her face, her arms crossed over as she looked directly at Gin. "Yea? Must be important if you're calling me by name eh?" She smirked, ignoring Gin's initial glare before noting the blank stare that it quickly returned to.

-swish- "What..." The tail swished in and out of view, Gin's eyes unconciously following it as his roommate narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "What is that behind you.."

Almost instantly the tail vanished, Inuhen's look of suspicion now replaced with a gaze of seriousness quite unlike her. Raising herself from her usual slouch to her full height, she suprisingly enough rose to Gin's exact height before looking him in the eye and swiftly turning to leave for her room. "I'm going to sleep," was all she said, her door slaming behind her and leaving Gin in the small hallway of the apartment on his own.

Something about that sudden occurance.. He didn't know but something told him that it would definitly be important to remember in the near future...

How important it would be however, he didn't know.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: What Temporary Test Subject Means**

That morning, he woke up on his own, staring at the ceiling for god knows how long, just.. Thinking. Something he hadn't done for a while, but then again the past few weeks were bringing all sorts of things he hadn't done for ages on end. Little things of course- Although technically being forced to quit smoking (He DID try the first few times during the first week.. However, not only did they 'mysteriously' dissapear, but it seemed that inorder to get anymore he would have to order them. Orders went through the Head of the Section. So even if he tried, it would likely have been rejected.) wasn't something small persay.. But just simple things such as having more time for personal things, full weekends of time off, to actually wander the building (Maps weren't that helpful) without feeling the slightest bit embarressed at all. It actually helped to calm himself down really.. All stress just blew away, something that had been a constant thing in the past.

Most of this was probably from the lack of killing, blackmail and etctera granted, but either way, not counting 'social nights' life had gotten consdierably peaceful in comparisson to the constant peering over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. Nights weren't even that stressful so much as simply annoying.. He was not the kind of person to socialize, at least not at THIS level.

Although the movie had definitly been worth it he supposed.. It was always a treat to watch Woltz wake up screaming to a bloodied horse head in his bed. (Though when he thought about it, it was and oddly clean cut.. Wonder what they used?) Speaking of the movie.. He and Inuhen had come in at what was probably 4 or 5 AM, and yet he felt completely refreshed, what time was it..

He turned to the clock. And blinked many times to clarify that he wasn't seeing things again.

2 PM. TWO. In the afternoon. Why didn't the clock go off? Even on saturday, he would find himself waking up at 7 or 8 in the morning. And he wouldn't have slept through it- He was a very light sleeper, and it was actually difficult for him to get TO sleep... The only reason why he had likely slept so late in the first place was the fact that he had been awake so long. The man sat up, before swinging his legs over the bed and onto the floor. Maybe it was just a fluke.. It was an alarm clock, the volume could have very well been tamp-

He grabbed the clock, looking it over with carefully trained eyes for any flaws. Nothing there. He placed it back on the table, shaking his head. Damn.. He really was paranoid. Scratching his head as he went to leave the room however, he couldn't help think that he had a pretty good reason for it though- His fingers went down to the scar on his cheek that the now dead Akai Shuichi had left him almost a year before. The only person to hit him with a bullet aside from himself since gaining the codename Gin.. He had to admit it, it had been a bit unnerving, if not even frightening at the time.

Walking out into the hall, he dimmly noted that Inuhen was not in the apartment. At least, if she was, she must have been asleep.. Otherwise he'd likely have been baraged with comments on what he probably looked like now. Thinking about the effects that little sleep before a shower had, he concluded that it probably wasn't good.. He turned to look into the main area of the apartment before narrowing his eyes with slight displeasure. She wasn't there.. And yet her bedroom door was open. Was she being nice and letting him be for once?

-BAMBAM-

A series of loud thunks against the door drew his attention, the thin barrier shaking with each hit. Voices from outside sounded, almost louder than the pounding. "Gin! Gin, open the door!!"

Shindou? Why would he be.. Regardless, he went towards the door, ignoring the fact that he was still wearing nothing but pyjama pants, and opened it.

"GI-" Barely dodging the fist that Shindou threw, Gin glared at the scientist before watching him rub his head nervously. "Ahaha.. G-Gomen.."

The glare continued. "What do you want..." He felt oddly selfconcious all of a sudden. Why was that? It wasn't as though Shindou was gay and him being shirtless would be a bad thing after all.. Then again, you never knew..

Shindou's embaressment was quickly hidden and replaced by a look of worry. "Ano.. It.. It's about Ookami..." He looked to the side, before gesturing to his own apartment down the hall. "It.. It's complicated. Grab a shirt, we'll explain in there..."

We? Nonetheless, if he could get some answers, it would probably be worthwhile. Nodding, he shut the door and went to grab some clothes before heading into the bathroom. Shower first. Then clothes.

He honestly didn't know what to expect walking into Tenshi and Shindou's well-lit apartment. Would Inuhen be there, or would they all be crying because of some tragedy.. In hindsight, while Tenshi likely would start bawling if that happened, it would be a very stupid move on her part. What's done is done.. There was really no need to dwell on it THAT much. Instead, as he came inside, he saw both Tenshi and Shindou on their couch, along with a young girl that looked remarkably like Shindou. They had.. A daughter??

Tenshi looked up from said girl towards Gin, face tight and nervous as she tapped the child's shoulder. "Shinri-Chan, I need you to go give this file to the Head, understand?" The girl, Shinri, simply nodded before taking it and leaving, walking past Gin and outside before the room went silent. Green and blue eyes stared over at the man, before Tenshi motioned for him to take a seat. "You're wondering why we called you over no doubt.. I'm almost certain that Shindou would have been pounding on your door enough to wake the dead.."

Shindou went beet red as Gin looked over at him with half-lidded eyes. Oh-ho, someone knew the other well.. Walking over to the couch, he took a seat before noting that Tenshi's hands were gripped tightly on a remote. Were they going to watch something? If that was what he was called over for..

Instead, he decided to question them about something else. He needed to get this off his mind before finding out what Shindou had wanted him for. "Amaretto," he said calmly, looking at the bespectacled man as he did so, "That girl. You never told me you had a daughter." Of course, he had learned that those in Section F kept their famillies in the building rather quickly- If anything, it seemed to be the main reason why people like Sake existed. There were still times when it suprised him however.. The girl looked about 7 or 8, and they were sending her out to bring things to the Head of the building.

He didn't even know where the Head of the building WAS nevermind how to get there. The two sitting with him simply looked at each other, before they laughed nervously together. "Ahaha.." Tenshi coughed into her hand, turning her head to speak. "W-Well... Technically, she isn't our daughter..."

Not their daughter? She was the splitting image of Shindou, unless she was his sister (Which he doubted- The age difference was far to large for one, and made it physically impossible..), she couldn't be anything else. Shindou's voice drew him from his thoughts once more, the scientist's voice wavering slightly as he spoke.

"Ah.. What we mean to say is.." He coughed nervously, before continuing on. "... Have you ever heard of the 'GENESIS' project?"

Genesis? Wasn't that a book in the bible or something? Aside from what his parents had brought him up with (Not that it 'worked'), the most he knew about 'Genesis' was that it meant creation. It seemed the look on his face told his co-workers this, as both gave exasperated sighs at almost the exact moment.

"I thought not.. Well, here goes." And with that Shindou and Tenshi both spent the next hour briefing him on just what it was they were talking about.

-----------------------------------------

_The date was May the Fourth ironically enough, when the idea formed. The Head wanted to impress the Boss with an entirely new assasin, something that couldn't make any mistakes, that could kill and speak without hesitation or feeling. As to how this would happen however.. It was currently unknown. _

_At least until one of the more recent members of our team, 'Maotai', mentioned cloning. It was at first shot down of course- What would making a copy of the human body do? But then thoughts began to formulate.. When a child is born, they know nothing about the world until they are taught. If we could, with the knowledge we had, create a clone at a specific age and teach it only what was required, then wouldn't the plan work?_

_Then the problem of whose DNA to use arose. We couldn't use any from the Section itself, as that would cause problems if not at the moment then later. But most of those within Section F had their immediate familly with them, and only knew those within the building.. Section F truely is its own city almost, surrounded by wood and seperated from the rest of the world save for the occasional ship of food and supplies. Payment even was pretty much useless, and simply gathered in the bank, save for the expenses that living there costed. So what was to be done?_

_So I decided to make a trip of my own to solve the problem. I declared that I would go out to Tokyo and retreive a sample from a relative of mine, after which we could simply alter the chromosome count lightly. The decision was made, and so I set off to my cousin's house, disguised as his own father just incase. In the end, no contact was made with him thankfully, so I was able to slip in and retreive the sample with no problem. When we returned, the project began, with myself, Inuhen, Tenshi, and Maotai on the team._

_No one bothered asking why I took my cousin's sample of course- I suppose I was being selfish. Tenshi was, and still is barren. We had married (Yes Gin, we were married- You try getting a diamond ring here, see how easy it is. It's not my fault gloves are required.) four years before, and had found out just weeks before the project began. Both of us volunteered to take care of the clone.. It would almost be like being parents, wouldn't it? The only difference was that there would be no feeling.. The child would be 'born' as a young teen of 15... It wasn't until it was too late, that I realized what a grave mistake I had made._

_But I made no actions to stop the project. No, that would mean death. However, when I spoke to Maotai of my worries.. The unthinkable happened. I had expected him to voice my worries aloud of course- It was typical of him, just like at the meeting, to speak out of place about things he couldn't change._

_Instead however, we woke to find out that he was dead- He had been caught tampering with the data that would control the growth and cells of the clone, and was shot on sight. It was a hit to us all. Inuhen especially was angered, and later forced to undergo 'voluntary testing' later on to pay for her own crimes.. But the deed was done. Maotai's body was cremated, and with Tenshi's request his ashes were blown across the sea rather than simply disposed of with trash. At least, she said, he would be free this way._

_As for the clone.. The damage was done. For one, we could no longer acess the code of the cells to alter small things such as eye and hair colour, leaving it identical to the source it had been taken from. For another, the keys that both his body and the bullet affected caused a small error in the program- All Y chomosomes were deleted, the clone rendered the equivalent of a faternal twin to the original. But with the keys that Maotai had not only typed but finalized with his death..._

_The clone was born less than half the age it should have been, and was taken from the glass container we used to create it half a year early. 6.. That was the age that the Section decided she was. Only 6 years old, that was the equivalent of her body size and strength. The Head was incredibly upset about this.. We were not blamed of course- He wasn't the type to violently punish those who had no control over such things, and listened when he was told that it wasn't reversible. But he was desperate to see if there was any hope in continuing the project._

_There was. The DNA she bore gave her an immensly high IQ count.. Within mere hours, she was able to successfully pick up the Japanese language, albeit with multiple errors when speaking, and no written skills whatsoever. Training was given. The entire Section continously sent her through training ment for grown men, and yet somehow she passed through it. We were told to give her a name before this.. Tenshi and I chose Shinri after much thought. The closest thing to a child we ever had, and we could only decide on her name. Everything else, we were told, was to be from the sidelines as a scientist. Not that Tenshi and I never tried of course but.. It was difficult.._

_After less than a year, Shinri passed the Codename Examination. She was given the name Schnapps, and her first partner. That would be Saki-San, whom you met on your first day here. It was Saki who managed to break through the layers of emotionlessness and ability oddly enough.. Of course, it was expected really.. And much of us were more than happy to watch Shinri go from what was almost a machiene to 'human'. The Head for some reason didn't mind this however.. One day I went to ask why._

_And he responded 'Because it takes a Human to make the decisions that we need'. He was right.. Would someone who went only by the book be able to adapt in the worst situations? Know when to save bullets and when not too? Besides.. What would happen if she was to go under disguise? She had been to 'inhuman' to pass as a mere child. It would have been impossible. He wasn't heartless, and he never was. And as I left, he told me that he just wished he'd realized the stupidity of the project before it started._

_There was only one problem now. Outside the Org, a war was coming. Agents were being captured, leads were found that would eventually come to the Sections themselves. Section F was to go into Lockdown. Most assasins with second skills were recalled back for on-base work.. Others were sent outside to deal with those who knew of them._

_'Schnapps' was one of them. Her duty was now to eliminate each one who knew of us, within a certain timeframe for each of them. First would be the ones we could easilly afford to lose.. Then the middle class people who simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time.. And eventually even outside agents that we had. However, when the first file detailing when each mission would be was delivered, Tenshi and I felt ill._

_After the last person was killed, she would have one month, December, as well as two weeks in January. And then she would be 'shutdown'. It was the Boss' decision apperantly. All traces of GENESIS were to be erased, incase knowledge of Section F still reached outside. The world was not ready for cloning.. And though we could easilly be quieted, DNA results from Shinri would still say otherwise...._

_The file was retrieved only one week before you arrived. It's February the 5__th__ right now. Shinri has less than one year to live..._

_-------------------------------------------------------_

"...And all because of a stupid mistake that we made at a meeting room table."

There were many things running through Gin's head at the moment. One was trying to wrap his head around the concept of cloning, which those outside the Org had been working on for years. Another was wondering why Shindou had been stupid enough to think of a clone of his _cousin_ as his _daughter_ in the first place. Yet another was still grasping the fact that not only had a child that appeared 6 at the time recived a codename, but the same child was technically less than one year old at the time... It was hard enough to accept that a 11 year old boy had recived one let alone a girl of that size.

But most of all, Gin _really_ wanted to shoot Shindou in his arm or leg or something non-fatal at the moment for being a sappy idiot. Really.. This was worse than getting a kitten that you knew would only be there for two days. You don't get attached to such things, it only made things worse.

Now if only he could word that.. His eyes closed, Gin rubbing a hand over his forehead as he thought about what to say. What did he say now? Much as he wanted to coldly call the man an idiot and a sap, he just.. Couldn't.

.....

Damn it. 'Section F' was making him soft. Instead, Gin decided to cough, thus bringing Shindou and Tenshi from their thoughts (Whatever they were), and brought up something different. "You wanted me here for what again?" It was a long shot, but maybe the water works from Tenshi would come to a stop.. Not to mention the large urge to punch them both in the face..

"Ah! R-right..." Again, an awkward silence settled, while Gin narrowed his eyes and wondered if the man had forgotten. If he did.. God, was everyone here like this? "About Inuhen.. Tenshi had volunteered to take visual watch this morning and last night.. And at around 8 this morning saw something in your own apartment that we think you should see.."

You could volunteer for that? He made a mental note to ask if Tenshi had been watching the evening that Inuhen had first dragged him off to watch a movie.. It would make things easier.. Ignoring that fact for a moment, he instead asked one of the more obvious questions on the matter. "What did you see...." It was a good question. Blunt and straight to the point. Then he could get out of here, and go back to reading 'Ex-Girlfriends: How to deal with that loss cleanly and swiftly without getting blood on your hands'. (Said book was very helpful so far in location attempts and ways to effectively poison her. No blood shed included.)

"This." That was all he got, as Tenshi clicked a button on the remote and the tv across from them flickered to life. "This is what we saw that was so important."

------------------------------------------------------

_The scene appears across the screen, A near birds-eye-view of Inuhen's apartment clearly seen. Though light pours into the room from the window, the entire view seems almost grey.. There is no one to be seen, at least until longnailed fingers grab at the screen and camera, before taking it down from its place and setting it down on the coffee table infront of the couch. Inuhen appears on screen, sitting down on the couch in front of the camera. Her face is lowered, as though deep in thought, and her hands are folded on her lap. Silence settles across the room, which appears darker than it should be in the light of the early morning. Finally, she speaks._

"_Hey.." Her voice seems lower than usual, more serious, and slightly beastial as well. I noted that her hair was down for once- I'd never seen it out of the elastic's hold, and now it poured forwards to cover most of her face. "How you all doing? Bet you it'll be Tenshi who finds this. Yea... Always liked Tenshi.. Maotai, Shindou.. Even Gin, you were pretty fun to mess with..." W-What!? Damn that woman... I glared at the screen pointlessly for a fraction of a second before she continued, her voice echoeing in the silence of the room._

"_Bet you're all wondering what the hell I'm doing right now eh? Wondering why I bothered grabbing a camera from the corner of the room to talk?" Her face raised slightly, and golden eyes glared from behind thick red hair. The eyes.. They had slit pupils.. Contacts maybe? I had always wondered why her eyes bore a colour not naturally human.. Maybe Inuhen was just wearing customized contacts now? But her vision was 20/20, what point would there be? I could almost see the grin on her face as she continued.._

"_You remember way way back.. When I first joined up with Maotai and everyone..? We had our first long term project.. A cure-all, to keep someone alive from what would normally be a fatal wound, or disease, virus whatever! Heheheheheh..." Her laughter chilled even myself.. What was she talking about.. "But on the night that you let Tenshi and I out for a drive.. We were almost caught weren't we? And even though she said it was her fault and everything, you still knew what happened... That was when you locked everyone in wasn't it? Way back then......" She looked up at this point, stareing at the ceiling, her voice filled with a mournful tone. Something seemed off about her though.. As if her face wasn't.. Well, her face. It seemed different. Perhaps the lighting.._

_She continued, snapping me from my thoughts. "My punishment was 'Live Testing'. I was going to take the proto-type of the pill we created... But in the end nothing happened.. Monitored for a full week, and nothing happened....." An eerie silence settled after this, and I almost caught on to what she was talking about. But that couldn't be it- No poison would be delayed that much.. She would have showed at least some minor signs if it did anything. So then what was she talking about? _

_Her head snapped forwards to face the camera, and I almost yelped with suprise- Her face.. Her face was not human! It looked like an animals, like some sort of twisted hybrid between a human and a __canine of some sort. Her eyes were large and slanted, her nose jutted outwards into what almost looked like a snout. Razor sharp teeth were clearly visible as she grinned, and pointed ears seemed to __move__ towards the top of her head as the skin itself turned colour before my eyes. What.. What in the hell was happening right now..._

"_AHAHA!!" She laughed loudly, an undertone that sounded almost like barking ringing in my ears. As it died down, she raised a hand up to grab the camera, the hand itself clawed and red, matching her hair and skin. Inuhen held the camera up to her face, moving as she did so towards the window, opening it it wide and pointing it towards the ground- Which was at least 20 feet from herself- before turning it back to herself. "You know what? This all happened exactly one hour after you left.. Collapsing in my room, throbbing with pain.. At least I had the sense to keep my trap shut eh, you bastards? None of you knew.. No one... Hehehehehe..."_

_She was.. A monster. No, worse than that.. What had one pill, one poison, whatever it was! What did it DO to cause this thing?? A tail swished behind her, identical to the one I saw the night before.. It wasn't fake, but she looked fine then! What was going on!? _

"_You know the irony of this..?" Her voice calmed down as she brought the camera towards her face more, which was now so angular that she looked more animal than human. Even her hair had shortened and fused to her back, which was now coated in a thick fur. Was that why she wore nothing but a tubetop? To make this process more comfortable..?_

"_Your poison damn well worked perfectly..."_

_Those words suprised me. It.. Worked? She had said they worked on a 'cure-all'.. But really, it was probably the same goal as every other unit of the Organization. Immortality, and life from death. But how did this cause that goal? Why would something like that be the cost of endless life.. Provided that it did infact exist? It seemed like an immpossible goal really.. But as Inuhen spoke again, I was proved wrong once more._

"_And you know what..." Her voice, though quiet, became more harsh, chilling me to the core as she went on. "I will outlive your grandchildren, your greatgrandchildren.. And maybe even their greatgrandchildren..." _

_Immpossible, it was immpossible.. That they could reach this goal without even realizing it, it was immpossible, just.. _

"_Too bad there's no more samples left eh..." The camera fell, and with it's last moments caught an orange blur as Inuhen lept from the window and out of the view of the lens._

_And the screen went blank..._


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Doppleganger**

Two weeks had passed since that day. After watching the disturbing film, Gin hadn't said anything to the couple beside him. They asked how he felt of course, something which he would much rather keep to himself (Didn't they know that by now?).. But he simply answered 'I'm fine', and left to head back to his own apartment watching as Shinri passed him in the hall to go back to her own. For a moment, he briefly thought of the impossible thoughts he held for the idea of cloning and miniture assasins.. But after a fraction of a second was brought back to reality by the darkness of his apartment. The curtains were closed... Ahhh that explained it then.

He had wondered why it was so dark in the room on the camera.

Gin walked over to the couch, taking a seat on it and leaning back as he stared over at the blank wall infront of him. He hadn't stopped going to those 'social nights'. Granted, he still didn't participate, but either way he had found himself unable to sleep the first few nights due to the habit- 'Social Nights' tended to go through to midnight.. Which would likely explain why he was too tired to do much the next day. At least he had been able to take a nap on the weekends.. But either way, he was at least getting enough sleep now- The advantages of being able to know that your alarm clock would go off at the time YOU set for once. What time was it now.. 3? And it was Sunday.. That was the cooking course... Shindou would likely be coming any moment now, hammering at his door to get him.

-BAMBAMBAM-

That would be him.. These people got over things quickly at least. Inuhen Ookami, AKA Shochu had been declared dead a few moments after he'd left the apartment that night. Some would still get all mushy and teary if you mentioned her of course (Wusses..), but aside from that people seemed amazingly.. Calm. Death was a common thing in the Organization of course, so he expected nothing less, but even then, the reaction was unexpected from the people who knew Inuhen and called her by name.

-BRAMBRAMBRAM-

The hammering continued, Gin getting up off the couch to answer the door. He'd taken his labcoat off long ago of course- He still couldn't feel comfortable with something like that on-, and at the moment looked more 'normal' than he likely had since he was 15. Opening the door, his eyes shut from the sudden light change (Damned hallways.. They did this on purpose, he swore it..), he quickly barked out a 'I'm here already..' before opening his eyes wide with suprise.

What normally would have easilly been dodged, had not been, and Gin was now clutching his leg with suprise as a slightly amused Sake chewed on a pocky stick.

"K-Kusooo...." Benkei's crying spot. Damn.. That... That really hurt... He gingerly stood back on the leg, glaring down at the boy with intensity that was sadly no match for those he threw out before arriving at the building. "What.. Are you doing here..." His answer was merely a file thrown at him (Which he barely caught... This kid had good aim.), before the boy walked into the apartment on his own.

"....Sake....?" Gin walked back into the room, watching as the boy dragged an oversized duffle-suitcase in through the room and towards the hall that led to Inuhen's old room. Her things had already been taken out by Tenshi and dealt with however- Now it was little more than a large empty space. "What are you-"

"Read the file, Baaaka!" Well, he wasn't blunt at all now was he? Glaring as Sake dissapeared around the corner and into the empty room, he opened the file before frowning.

OH HELL NO.

The file, quite simply, stated the following. One, was that each apartment with two bedrooms, required two or more (It was the more that disturbed him really..) roommates in occupancy. Another, was that as Gin had failed to decide on someone to take Inuhen's place, something he hadn't been notified of in the first place, an agent who had been awaiting a free room would take his place.

Saki, Jino AKA Sake, had just happened to send in his application after his 12th birthday. Lo and behold, there he was- After many weeks of trying to avoid him.. It would now be impossible.

If he didn't know any better, he would say that the people from 'Occult Night' really had cursed him the first time he'd walked in the room..

A single day in the presence of Jino Saki was enough to last a lifetime. Though he still went to the cooking night with Shindou (Considering the damage the door would have taken otherwise..), the next week (Or close to a week anyway) was definitly filled with intersting conversations.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say that the brat had gotten a profile of him, or at least managed to make a decent one on his own.

The first morning went as planned to start- Gin woke up, showered, and got dressed before heading into the kitchen to eat breakfast. Grabbed a bag of oatmeal, and turned to find Jino at the counter. Eating the exact same thing. Watching a child who looked in almost everyway like yourself, eating the same thing you are, can be rather frightening.

Later, when he returned from the lab, he came in to see the boy's sillouette on the couch bearing a horribly acurate resemblance again. Complete with pocky stick 'cigarette'. Oddly enough, the first words out of Jino's mouth when he questioned him on this were 'Fuck, I hate smokers. You kidding me?' How... Amazingly blunt again. Reminded him of himself oddly enough. Gin made a mental note to make sure that if Jino decided to get into a relationship at some point, to make sure that he read some of his books. They would help.

At least more than they had so far for himself. That acursed Sherry... He dwelled on her for the rest of the night, so much that he almost forgot to say 'pass' at 'talk night'. A truely dangerous thing to forget.

Tuesday, things went almost identically, save for the fact that he found himself followed by Jino until he reached the Auditorium for paintball. Of all- He enjoyed paintball, was the brat going to ruin that? Then again.. He recalled his first night with the paintball gun, smirking unconciously as both Jino's and multiple other people's cries of pain entered his mind. The sounds they all made when the paint bubbles hit.. It was quite amusing...

Maybe he could shoot a few at Sherry before killing her... It would defintly be enjoyable.. Though red paint wasn't as crimson as blood was..

Sadly however, it seemed that that first night Jino had only been acting that way because he'd recently gotten back from a long-term assasination mission. If anything, with both himself and Jino on opposing sides, it seemed as though they were both holding the fate of each team in their hands themselves.

Of course, Gin won in the end.. But not with multiple 'grazes' from multicoloured paint. Thank god for the paint suits they wore during the event..

Wednesday was actually quite fine really.. However, being 'occult night', the skeptical Jino of course had questions. By now it was more a habit than anything.. Inuhen had dragged him there for two months after all, it was hard not to get used to it. The boy jumped on the fact that he had refered to her as 'Inuhen-San' rather than Shochu or even 'Ookami' however. His excuse (Damn damn damn! Why DID he call her by name!) was out of respect for the dead.. Inuhen was on his kill list now. Ignoring Jino's smirk as the brat muttered 'sherry', he decided to take the opprotunity to leave the room for the auditorium at that moment.

Thursday, Kareoke. The brat followed him there as well. And though many in the room had finally come to the conclusion that Gin would only sit in the back and think, Jino had not. Either that, or he simply relished in being annoying.

"So how come you ain't singing?"

Not only did he swear, but his grammar... Ugh... He decided to ignore the question in hopes of avoiding the topic. "Don't use 'ain't'... You should at least attempt to speak properly."

Jino took the statement as his cue to ask something else. Much to Gin's displeasure. "So.. I heard you were an assasin once. Sniper right?"

"....Yes..." Once? Please.. He still was. This was merely a small set back, a 'vacation' if he would.. Then again, who the hell gave out 6 month vacations? Not that it had been six months just yet of course.. But it was begining to feel like it. "Why did you ask..?"

"You just had that feel yah know?" Feel? "That sense yah get when you're around a killer- You know, that cold feeling? Me, it don't affect me too much since I do it myself.. But yer eyes give it away. They have that look."

This boy was oddly perceptive if he could tell his position from his EYES nontheless.. "Speak properly brat.."

Again, Jino ignored Gin's comment, possibly speaking like that simply to annoy him now. "So you had a girlfriend once I heard.. Shiho Miyano right?"

That clinched it. Without warning, Jino was pulled right up to Gin's face, a glare that could stimoutaniously melt the Antarctic and freeze hell over meeting his eyes. "Do not.. Ever.. Speak her name in front of me.." Letting him down, a few agents next to Gin stared nervously before moving to a different seat. Jino on the other hand seemed relatively unaffected to Gin's suprise.

He knew he hadn't gotten the code name for nothing.. Once again however, the boy tried making conversation once more, pulling a few pocky sticks from his vest pocket before placing one in his mouth. "Alright, alright.. Bad topic then. Sheesh.. I'm definitly glad Shin-Chan wasn't your size when we first met.. Her glare was worse than yours I think.." Worse? From a child? Assuming 'Shin-Chan' was Schnapps of course.. But was he loosing his touch... The next question drew his mind back to reality, the sounds of crunching surrounding it as Jino ate the pocky. "Anyways. So you forget the faces of people yah kill right? How come? It some sort of psycological thing or what?"

For a brat with bad grammar, his vocabulary was oddly advanced. But he brought up an interesting question. At least, considering that the only other person to bother asking was his old partner..

Ahhh Vodka.. What happened to him anyways? Barely out from being a trainee he had been, when they were made partners. He'd grown to know him rather well quite honestly. Although the man still had much to learn really..

But faces.. "...." That was not anyone's business but his own. Forget the faces, forget the ties. Forget the ties, forget the existance of the person alltogether, even their name.. They would become but whispers on the wind, crushed like the lives they once held. Famous? Watch, within a month or so after death there would be someone new in the spotlight. Friends, familly? Yea, they would remember.. But would anyone else bother to really care? Not many.

And yet that was not the reason.. Truthfully.. He did not know now, why he forgot the names and faces of his victims. Perhaps it made it easier somehow.

Silence settled between the two after that, and 30 minutes later they both walked the distance to the apartment in a similar silence, only disrupted by the crunch of pocky from the younger.

---------------------------------------------

It had been less than a week, and already Jino was gone on a long term mission. He couldn't say it wasn't a relief- Having the brat around made him nervous, and not just because of the questions.

There was a reason why dopplegangers were said to be bad luck.

But, aside from that it was fine. 'Sake' and 'Schnapps' as the file he left behind read, would be gone for 6 weeks, as their target was overseas somewhere and they both had the opprotunity to look for him. Something that Jino had been overly excited about.. When Gin asked (He shouldn't have asked, he really shouldn't have..), he was simply greeted with a wide grin and the words 'Never been tah Austrailia!', before watching him leave with the same suitcase he'd arrived with.

6 weeks.. In Austrailia. Was this place giving them a vacation in addition to the mission? Six weeks! It would never take him that long to track- He halted himself there, before rephrasing that thought.. It wouldn't take him this long to track down someone who wasn't avoiding him. There. That worked.. Most of his targets didn't even know he existed after all. Aside from traitorous agents of course, but it was always fun to corner them. God knew how much he would enjoy it when he finally got _her..._

But 6 weeks. He would definitly enjoy that..

Hopefully.

He didn't enjoy it. Three days left, and the most he'd gotten was more sleep. Then again.. He really hadn't expected much else.. 'Section F' was just too strange for him to feel that comfortable, no matter how much more comfortable he felt there than with his position as one of the Organization's top assasins. Maybe it was something in the air. Either way, he'd lived this long.. Couldn't be that difficult to survive.

Speaking of which.. Gin looked over at a calendar he'd kept on the wall, frowning as he noted the date. Hopefully they wouldn't do anything stupid.. But with what they did whenever the day came for others was begginging to make him nervous. Birthdays.. Was there really that much need to celebrate ageing a full year more when you were an adult? At least in ways similar to children's?? He understood a bottle of Gin (No pun intended on his part of course) or some other alcohol, and a toast to celebrate but.. Cake? _Presents even??_ He'd BEEN at Tenshi's 'party'. He had to feign illness to escape. Even then, Shindou cornered him later and told him that if he didn't eat a slice of cake, he would tell his wife all about how Gin had lied to leave. It wasn't as though he hadn't lied before of course but..

Well, to put it quite simply, he would rather not have had to deal with an angered Tenshi after running into a joking Inuhen- Tenshi beat the woman in an arm wressle on games night.

Still, the day would have to go on.. Grabbing the file detailing recent changes in lab locations and the days work he left, praying to whatever god might exist that he wasn't bombarded with confetti the moment he walked into the room.

Entering the lab from one of the many halls that led to it, Gin couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. He was the first one there.. No chance of confetti. Later, when Tenshi and Shindou, along with a newer member to the group (Her codename was 'Asti', and she wore glasses to match an extremely nervous and quiet personality. Simply asking her for a beaker would make her jump. Lab time with Asti was most definitly fun when she was holding explosive chemicals..), it was quite clear as to how disapointed they were.

The morning went fine after that. Save for a few incidents where Asti proved that blondes could infact be dim (Something Gin actually felt slightly insulted about- He was blonde..), there was no harm done. At least until he returned from buying his lunch from one of the vending machines in the hall. Two minutes.. TWO MINUTES was all it took. And yet, as he entered the door, completely sure that they couldn't have done anything in that amount of time..

"SUPRISE!!"

"Happy Birthday Gin!"

A banner that read those very words hung in the room. A large white cake sat underneath it. There were WRAPPED BOXES BESIDE IT. And.. Worst of all.. There was confetti. IN HIS HAIR.

He did what any sensible person would to in that situation. At least.. Any sensible person with his attitude and experience. He blinked a few times..

And proceeded to walk briskly away from the room.

He briefly heard Shindou behind him as he walked hurridly, doing all he could to possibly shake any followers. "G-Gin! Gin, wait!" Left, right.. Right again, and then another left.. The halls were oddly empty here, and dark to add to it, lit only by strange green panels on the side of the walls. Interesting.. Of course, with it being empty and all, he could easilly tell that Shindou was still following him.. And in the same way, it was made rather easy for the other to spot _him. _"G-Gin!!"

What was it that was so important... He turned, glaring at him as the black haired man gasped for breath before finally speaking. "G-Gin.. I.. We didn't know it would upset you that much or.."

"Upset me?" The glare intensified, his face oddly frightening in the green light. "What ever gave you THAT idea Amaretto?" An awkward silence fell, and Shindou turned nervously to his side. Served him right.. As if many weeks of avoiding nessecary physical contact didn't prove anything, did they honestly think that a 'party' would amuse him in the least? Maybe if it was someone ELSE.. But certainly NOT him. "Though I'm rather suprised that you bothered following me to tell me that. Maybe I'll keep it in mind and call in sick next time." His voice seemed tense for somereason. Wonder why?

Shindou however was still looking oddly nervous, pale even. It was actually beggining to bug him really.. A few stray thoughts entered his mind as he studied the man's face however, realization slowly dawning with each one.

The hall was empty.. So people were clearly avoiding it. It was defintily different from the rest of the building, seeing as how it was glowing a neon green along the walls and swirling in patterns more confusing and sloth-like than a lava lamp.

Damn. As if the NEON GREEN hadn't given it away in the first place.. He really was loosing his touch wasn't he? "....Amaretto... This place is off limits isn't it.."

A nod. And then.. "Actually..." He coughed, as though struggling to find the right words. "We are currently in one of the chemical hold rooms.. More specifically, this one.." He didn't have to say anything more, as a sudden crack exploded into the air, echoing omniously around them.

"Amaretto..." Silence. Shindou's skin looked about the same shade as his lab coat as even Gin widened his eyes with slight fear. Depending on the chemicals anything could happen.. From cancer to immediate death from acidic burns.. "Amaretto what chemicals.." Still no answer. Dammit... He turned, squinting his eyes as he tried to see if the crack had affected that side of the room or the other. They couldn't move until they knew..

A speck of green. That side. He bolted, charging for the door as he started trying to open it- Halls were seperated by doors sometimes.. Damn, how could he have been so naive.. The door wouldn't open, it had been held open when he entered.. Damn it!

Sounds of rushing water were begginging to meet his ears, and Gin paled before turning. "AMARETTO!!" He was still standing there.. That idiot.. Move! "AMARETTO! RUN!" Why wouldn't he move! Gin charged forwards towards the man, calling his codename multiple times. "DAMN IT AMARETTO MOVE!" Only one way to snap him out of it it seemed.. Bracing himself as he caught a glimpse of the upcoming wave of green ahead, he leaped forwards and tackled Shindou to the ground.

"Ung!" At least he got him to his senses.. No words were spoken as both looked each other in the eye and then at the glass around them. Half full.. How large was this room! Gin stood up quickly, helping his coworker up as well before they both rushed for the door once more. They were loosing precious time.. Likely a few seconds.. Shaking the handles didn't work.. Slaming their bodies into the door didn't work.. It was funny how people could be resorted to the same actions in fatal situations, neh?

"Damn.." Gin swore as he leaned against the door, watching as the eerily glowing wave came closer. It was a hell of a lot bigger than a speck now.. He turned to Shindou, the other man's face just as serious as his own. "......" What did you say in situations like this? Before, when it was with guns and knives it was generally instantanious. But now.. They knew it was coming. And they knew what lay instore for them. There was always that chance.. "Matsuda..."

Name. Shindou turned, a look of suprise contrasting Gin's smirk greatly. Gin had called him by name.. Damn.. They really were going to die..

"Matsuda.. What chemicals did you say were in those vats before..?" A short silence sat upon them as the wave grew to the size of Gin's hand in the distance. Seeing as how it would have to be ridding ontop of the vats as well now.. They had likely 30 seconds more.

Shindou smiled sadly before turning to look at the oncoming wave once more. "Something you are quite framilliar with, Gin.."

Framilliar.. They hadn't worked with anything like this here, and the only thing he'd known of before now was.. His eyes widened, as he recalled the pitfully small squeals of pain from experimental mice during supervision of the last project that had failed. No.. God no, not..

"Remenants of APTX4869."

"......Damn...."

The wave was likely 2 seconds away when Gin finally responded to that.

"Damn. We really are dead."

-zzzzuuuooOOAN-

----------------------------------

Pain. The moment the wave hit, he felt nothing but excrutiating pain. It was expected of course, given the results of the experiments.. But the pain he felt now.. Nothing held back the screams that escaped him. They were drowned out of course, mainly by torrents of the same chemical running down his throat and into his lungs.. Which only intensified the pain. But why wasn't he drowning instead?

It felt.. As though every bone, every muscle, every single cell in his body was being crushed to the size of an atom. Not simply melting, that would at least be more comfortable, but _crushing_, forcing, as though something was trying to put him into a doorway 10 times smaller than himself and expecting him to walk through with an inch of space on each side. He cared less what happened after this- Bring the guns, a firing squad for execution would be welcomed greatly compared to this.. Hell, even blunt force trauma, he'd take it!

And all this went through his head within minutes before his vision began to fade.. And the pain began to dissapear.. So this was death then?.. He deserved it he supposed.. But what of Shindou? Granted, they probably deserved death no matter what but.. In this fashion? Whatever..

Damn.... He didn't want to die... Most humans didn't then again.. Probably why he had jumped on the idea of immortality in a pill in the first place.

.....Worst damned birthday ever...

...And that was with his life flashing before his eyes.

_The world went white...._


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Whose Eyes Are These?**

Blinding pain was what APTX caused, and Shindou knew this. Yet, as the wave stuck himself and Gin down, he couldn't help but think that they needed a better way of describing the symthoms. Pain.. This was more than pain. His thoughts trailed to his friend (Or at least, he thought of him as a friend... Gin probably didn't see anyone as 'friends' really. ), and what he was likely experiencing. He couldn't see him at the moment.. The chemicals would have to settle first.. He thought of screaming, but then decided that Gin would probably call him a wuss for that in hell.

They weren't likely to go to heaven after all. But ah.. At least there he'd be so busy shaking hands with those he knew, that he wouldn't mind it that much.. The world began to fade.. And then, it began to clear. Eyes widened as Shindou sat up, the chemicals up to his waist. He was alive.. But how? The chemicals were no longer burning his skin.. But how.. He looked around, trying to spot Gin as he grinned. A failure, the chemicals had failed!

The grin faded. Gin wasn't standing.. He couldn't even see the man. Cries from outside told him that enough time to realize their location had passed... Damn.. Shindou turned to the doors, listening as shouts for keys came through. Eyes wide with the knowledge of what would happen when it was found he was the only one living in the room, fear gripped him once more. If they realized what happened in here.. His fate would be worse than simply testing. Swiftly Shindou ran for the other side of the room, or at least as fast as the receeding chemicals would allow. No doubt that anyone outside would be wearing hazmat at the moment.. This wouldn't do anything to clothing, so he needed as much a head start as possible.

Damn.. Reaching the end of the room, he struggled to regain his breath. No exit. He looked down towards the end of the dark room, still lit by what now made an eerie green 'road' back. There had to be a way out.. For one thing, the chemicals were clearly draining away somehow...

And if he still had oxygen while the doors were sealed..

Shindou looked up, squinting as he checked to see if his assumstions were correct. He may not be able to take the exit those chemicals were, but if he could get to that ventilation shaft.. There was more than enough room until he got to the parking lot. Looking back down the hall again, he frowned. Nothing but Gin's dead body.. But was he really dead? He shook it off. There hadn't been anything there. There was no chance that it could have failed if he was still underneath it all..

There was scafolding back here. It seemed that the glass had shattered because there was construction going on.. Someone was careless and left a leak it seemed. He pulled the scafolding under the entrance to the shaft, clenching his fists before making his decision. Tenshi would give him a proper burial.. He was sure. With that he climbed into the ventilation and left.

---------------------------------

She volunteered for lots of things. Clean ups after social nights, clean ups after parties, and... As she was painfully reminded of after arriving at Chem. Storage Room B in a hazmat suit, clean up after chemical accidents. Including those involving people. The doors were broken down at this moment, and a rush of chemicals spewed out, a few lumps of green left behind.

"Ah.. Shit... We need to clear the other halls if there's this much.. Oi, Tomoyo!"

Ah.. They were already calling her by her maiden name.. Was it really that obvious that he'd been in there? Along with Gin? Rather than dwell on that, she blinked her tears off and answered. "H-Hai!"

The man, whose face was rather unknown in the hazmat pointed towards the door before speaking. "I need you to see if any of them survived. If not give me a page alright? We're going to go clear the halls." He paused, before pointing over to the cleaning cart. "If you could start actually, it'd be helpful.. You only need to fill one cart, then you can go!"

She understood. Nodding, Tenshi watched as the others all left to deal with the quickly spreading ooze before grabbing the cart and heading into the room. Both of them.. They were gone now weren't they? She bit her lip, holding back a few tears as she looked around the entrance. Both would have tried to leave at least when they realized what happened.. Noting the few 'green lumps', she headed towards the ones closest to the door in an attempt to find the bodies. The first one popped the moment she prodded it- Bubble. The next one simply oozed down to join the rest of the slime.. That was odd. Along the way, she grabbed many waste disposal bags and filled them with the slime. It of course, filled the space after she took the bag and loaded it on the cart, but she knew somehow that it would make a small difference at least.

Tenshi continued on her way, scooping slime and placing the bags on the cart before coming to one that looked rather small compared to the others. She frowned, shaking her head. Really, how were these bubbles forming? Or was it even a bubble? Shaking her head again, she grabbed another bag of slime and loaded it onto the half filled cart before grabbing one of the cleaning sticks. If it was a bubble than maybe this would spare her the joys of trying to clear the screen of her hazmat suit.. It was the last bubble near the entrance. Either they'd been trapped further down, or this was it..

But even then, that couldn't be right.. The bubble was barely larger than Shinri. Still, she bent down an stretched her arm out to poke the bubble, squeezing her eyes shut incase the chemicals still managed to hit her in the face. Closer.. Closer.. Annnddd....

-splllouggttttttttt-

Ewwww... Not a bubble. Opening her eyes, she squished her face into that of disgust as the slime slipped into the rest of the chemicals. After about 5 seconds however, this looked changed to confusion.. Then to suprise.. And then to shock as the slime slowly revealed the fact that there was actually something completely solid underneath it.

White. The lab coat.. Oh god..

She rushed forwards, digging at the slime in an attempt to get out what remained of either Gin or Shindou. Maybe they could still be alive somehow.. How likely was that however, seeing as how it took her more than 30 minutes to get to this spot in the first place though. A mouth... It was coated in a film-like build up of the slime. Holding back her lunch, she attempted to clear what she could before pulling the body out. Odd.. It was light..

Laying the head on her legs, she stared with confusion at what should have been Gin's body. Small.. So small, at least the size of a 7 year old. A tall 7 year old mind you, but 7 nonetheless. Did APTX have the ability to cause this? She shook it off. It didn't matter at the moment. For one thing, there were no visuals in storage rooms, so it wasn't as though anyone would know. For another.. She had yet to make sure he was alive, if it was possible.

She held back her lunch as she cleared the film over the mouth and nose, before leaning her head ontop of the.. Well, boy really, as she couldn't very well look at Gin as an adult at this moment.. The boy's chest. She couldn't feel anything through the hazmat.. But if he was breathing, than she would feel the rise and lower of his chest.

-_fwa... ha... fwa... ha...-_

Tenshi jerked her head up with suprise instantly, before letting a few tears through. A.. Amazing.. Though the poisons had done this much, he was still alive..

Wait. She looked around, before realizing the reason why so many bubbles had appeared. Most likely the oxygen trapped in things like the pockets of the lab coat and such allowed it to gather.. But aside from at the front there were no bubbles in the room.

"Shindou..." Tears fell faster now as she stood up, lifting Gin up bridal style quite easilly due to the unconcious one's size. Shindou.. He really was dead.. And with Gin alive, that would mean they would likely punish him for the fact. Live testing.. No, if he survived this, it would instead be live experimentation, with no more respect than the mice in the labs. She bit her lip again, briefly noting the fact that it had started bleeding. She couldn't let that happen.. Too many times, she had let people she'd known succumb to that fate. Even now, when she'd thought that her husband was spared from it, he'd been taken by the things they worked with but a year before.

Her fists tightened their grip, before she changed her actions from mourning to determined. She would NOT let that happen again. Walking over to the cart in what was now ankle deep slime, she carefully placed Gin ontop of the bags closer to the edge. The slime was relatively light weight.. If she was careful, she could probably smuggle him out when she dumped it. Tenshi frowned however as she realized the flaw in that- It wasn't as though he could simply drive away though.. Even if he was still his normal size it was impossible.

She'd have to think of something though.. Scooping a bag full of slime and placing it carefully ontop of Gin, she pulled the cart in further, dragging it as far back as she could while she thought. What could she do.. Gin looked like a child obviously, that was certain. Perhaps a relative? Tenshi's familly was one of the few that was un-montitored. A familly of seamstresses and tailors did NOT pose a threat really. If anything, they were happy to leave them unmonitored, as according to her familly, they were a happy bunch of medical students and teachers who just needed clothing donations. Something that, though ignored by her parents, was happilly given by her sister.

Hadn't her sister adopted a son recently? No, it was a daughter nevermind.. Although..

An idea hit, and she smiled as she reached the back of the room. That was it.. She moved the scafolding on the floor aside, before grabbing some bags and returning to her scooping job. That was what she could do. Her sister wasn't monitored, so they would never know if she did or didn't have a son that Tenshi could have over to visit her.. And if something DID happen, they wouldn't tell- Oh.. But they would, it would just be an 'accident' that would likely come as a suprise to a woman who didn't actually have a son.. Tenshi frowned again, shifting the bags to make sure that Gin still had air before continuing her work.

She needed to find a way to do this without risk. Perhaps.. Her sister died? No, how would they be getting donations after that.. Maybe her brother? He worked in a factory that was rather unimportant to the Organization, so he could easilly be ignored.. Perhaps he died, leaving his 'son' to her? And her sister could just be watching him for 'an hour or so' until she got there?

It was strange how she was refering to all this as though there actually WAS a nephew.. But it made sense. The Section itself would be the only ones to know, and if something happened they would have no one to tell- Tenshi had a relatively closed off life, and barely spoke to her familly as it was. They could easilly find out how to mimick her emails.. And they wouldn't tell her sister that anything happened, as it would simply cause trouble when there was no body. Bodies had to be disposed of quickly in the Section, that was why most famillies knew and lived with the agents there. It was simple if the person had no familly of course, but Tenshi rathered her familly stay out of it.

The cart was almost full. She had a plan at least, she told herself as she pushed the cart back while occasionally looking down to make sure there was still life underneath the bags. About half way through she stopped this- The other agents had returned, and she could now see them from the other side. Alright.. She knew that what she could do to cover this.. Now how to actually go through with it.. The agents around her ignored Tenshi as she passed, minding to their own clean up while she steered the cart through.

"Ahhh Tomoyo.. You already have a full cart?"

Tenshi jerked her head up from her thoughts, before nodding. "Ah.. Hai.. I was going to dispose of this now.." If he would let her go on her own, it would be nice..

"Very well then. Off you go!" Phew..

The man in the hazmat waved her off in the direction of the hose showers, before she nodded a thank-you in return. Once again, she returned to her thoughts as she walked down the slowly cleaned hall, head down as she attempted to get a few ideas. Her car was parked near the entrance of the disposal.. It was also the same area where the camera was still faulty oddly enough. If she could make it there, she could slip Gin in the car until she had a better idea on things.

She reached the showers at this point, and a few agents garbed in the same white hazmat sent her and the cart into the curtained shower, before turning on the hoses and rinsing off any of the slime. After this, she was allowed through on the other side of the blockade, slime free as she took off the hazmat helmet. "Haah..." It was always stuffy in those things.. Pulling the cart over to one of the washrooms in the hall, she walked inside before soon coming out with the hazmat and handing it to one of the agents at the gate. "Here, I finshed my shift.."

The woman at gate nodded, taking it before gesturing to the cart. "Make sure it burns completely yea? We don't need another version of LAST time.. Had hives all week." Catching Tenshi's stern and serious nod, the woman quickly laughed before waving her off. "Ahah.. Don't worry, I'm pulling your leg.. Hives were from the flowers in the lobby.. But seriously, burn it nice and good yea?"

Nodding, Tenshi walked over to the cart and began pushing it towards the nearest elevator. She needed to do this quickly.. Stepping in the elevator, she pushed the 'P4' button before watching the doors close and leave her to what would probably be 5 minutes of silence. From the 14th floor down with elevators like these, the trip was rather long.. But at least it gave her time to think. First off, whether he liked it or not, Gin would have to take a fake name. But unfortunatly, she couldn't very well leave the boss a note that said 'Leaving to get my nephew, be back soon', and expect him to comply. The Head of the Section would want a name.. Granted, she would have enough time before being called up after paging him, but she would need to think.

She couldn't very well send it now either, she decided as the elevator began coming to a stop, Tenshi grabbing the cart handles before quickly pushing it out. If she sent something directly after this, it would look suspicious. The woman ran a few scenarios in her head as she walked, frowning as she came towards her car. Well, here she was.. Pulling the cart to the side where the camera's view was faulty, she slowly pulled some bags off so as to reach her coworker quickly and quietly. She had a computer at the apartment.. E-mails coming in weren't read, but e-mails going out were. If she simply pretended to read a notice of her brother's 'death', and sent her sister a mail saying that she would be over to pick up a few things, they would pass it off as her 'nephew's bags.. She would need to get Gin some clothes anyways, his original ones certainly wouldn't work.

At last she cleared enough to pull Gin out, the woman carefully balancing him with one arm as she opened the unlocked car door to slip him in. Checking his vitals once more, she assured herself that he would be alright before shutting the door carefully and re-loading the bags. She knew how to convince the boss of the existance of a nephew.. As well as how to get Gin to her apartment safely. If he woke up in the car, she could simply explain the situation while driving, or parked. If he woke up in the building.. Well, hopefully he wouldn't wake up until they were in the apartment then.

But she needed to think of a name first- The head was nice, yes, but he was a tad paranoid. The only reason why security was so loose in places at the building was because he had the people themselves heavilly monitored and secured- They were trapped like rats, albeit rats with priviledges. So long as it didn't risk the Organization, things would be fine with him- Hackers would prevent other hackers from breaking through to their computers and accessing information, and supplies were ordered from very well paid sources. So long as the people were happy, they were quiet. And the head liked that.

However, if the Head did not get a name.. He was certain to be a bit suspicious of the woman who constantly remembered the names of people she only met once. If Tenshi told him she was getting her 'nephew' without giving a name instantly... There was no doubt, it would not end well, at least not easilly.

The cart was now fully loaded again.. Tugging it towards the oddly close door to the disposal room (Which would explain why she never had to pay for parking..), she quickly pulled out her I.D. card and opened it, revealing the large closing and opening tube where the bags would be sent. Pushing the 'open' button, she began sending the bags through the chute, trying to think of names that wouldn't seem obvious or stupid.

Surnames.. Her brother's surname wasn't Tomoyo, as he was technically a step-brother and not an actual brother.. The only reason why she herself went by Tomoyo was because she had honestly liked her real father more than her step-father. At least she had been given the choice. But in anycase, her brother's surname was 'Hisoka' for reasons beyond her, so that would have to be the surname Gin borrowed for now if she was to stick to this story..

As for the first name however.. She sent another bag flying down the chute, the cart beside her now half empty while a small pile grew at the bottom of the incinerator. What were common boys names now.. The woman frowned as she went through the list she'd gone through a year before Shinri's 'birth', trying to find one that would work. Eventually however.. She threw the last in bag and pressed the 'close' button before moving over to the spot with a window and a 'burn' button. Well, eventually she ran out. In all honesty, the names she'd looked at before would have suited someone like Shinichi Kudo, or Shinri.. But certainly not Gin.

Ha.. Why a child though? And why a living child? It would have made more sense if he'd died from the shock afterwards, and yet there he was..

A few bells rang off in Tenshi's head as she pushed and held the burn button, quickly moving on the idea that appeared. 'Child.' 'Ko.' Ko was often used in girls names as a suffix, but there was at least one boy's name where it was used as a prefix wasn't there? She held onto that thought for a moment, before thinking of additional meanings for the word, as well as other things that translated to the english 'child'.

'Ji.' Ji also meant 'child' with the right Kanji. She could swear she'd come across a name with that condition, and it wasn't 'Jino's.. No, his meant 'Samurai Field'. Something she would have expected in a surname rather than a first, especially since 'Saki' used the Kanji for 'Clear Mind'.

Ji wouldn't be to bad for a name.. True, Gin would likely be livid once Tenshi told him the Kanji she'd written it with, but it would likely be common enough.. Back to the name itself though. Ko.. Ji.. Ko ji.. Koji.. What would that mean now.. Another meaning for Ko, what was it..

If there was one thing Tenshi was known for, it was her ability to write complete reports in Hiragana and Kana while getting away with it. Oddly enough, though she'd excelled in just about every mental subject required of her, writing Kanji had always been a low point for her.. To many strokes.. Ah..

She still did well enough of course, but she had to carry around a Kanji dictionary constantly. Something she lacked right now.

Ko.. Ko... Small? ...Ah! That was it! Small!

Koji.. Small Child.. The only decent name she could think of.. And it was clearly something he would detest.. Tenshi released the 'burn' button, walking out with the cart gripped with one hand as she tugged it back to the elevator. Either way, it worked. Worst case scenario, she could tell him that it was the first thing that popped in her mind. It wasn't as though it wasn't partially true anyways..

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She always left the car unlocked. And Shindou Matsuda was very much glad for that. Slipping out from the ventilation shaft, he peered around carefully incase there was someone else in the fourth level parking lot. No one there.. Thank god. But he couldn't contact her.. No, that would be dangerous. The only thing he could do now was find a way to slip out really.. Something rather difficult for himself at the moment, especially considering the conditions they were left in under NORMAL circumstances. People leaving were given a tracking pill and a biodegradeable bomb in the form of the same thing- If they were gone for more than the time given, or simply out of range of the tracer..

BOOM! No more agent blank. If he could get out however..

Impossible without permission. The building was completely seperated from the 'mainland' of Honshu, on a small island that was just a bit too far for someone to swim really.. A private ferry was the ticket out, released from Parking Lot 5, the lowest point on the island that he could access- A doorway would open from the island, and the ferry would sail out, making the island an oversized boathouse.

But again, there was a way. He simply needed to hide out in Tenshi's car until she left- Not that long really, as she had told him that Shinri was going to be picked up early.. He could last long enough in the trunk, provided he left it open enough for air. And once she stopped on the roads ON Honshu.. Simply hop out of the trunk and go from there. A loose plan he knew, but it was his best chance really.. Most rooms in the Section were under survailance, so it would be impossible to simply hide out in the building. Damn.. He really hoped he could simply tell Tenshi though.. But sad to say, she couldn't keep something like that a secret really.. She never could....

The trunk was unlocked. Opening it up and using a small bit of fabric to keep it from closing completely, he hopped inside.. And waited.

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It was really hard, Tenshi told herself for the fifth time that day, to act normal after all this. It was well after midnight by the time Tenshi got back to her apartment, and she had to simply act as though another day's work was done, cry for Gin and Shindou (Though she really WAS crying for her husband in reality..), and try to go to sleep.

Normally, after the death of a coworker, she would cry, but still manage to sleep after she tired herself out.

She couldn't sleep. She spent the next few hours awake on her side, extremely glad that visual and audio survailance had been taken from her apartment many weeks before.

Still, though the next morning went as well as acting goes, it was hard. Rain or shine, Tenshi would check her mail each morning. Even after a loss. It was her only connection to the real world at times, and she held it close. The computer monitors would log when she logged in, along with when she sent a message and what it contained.. But not what the emails she read contained, along with where they came from. She clicked a spam message, spent a few minutes on it.. Forced herself to think of Shindou and the pain he likely felt when he died so as to keep the time going and her eyes red. (Such a horrible way to remember a person.. Ahh.. In the end, it was for a good reason she told herself while asking his spirit to forgive her.)

Then came the easier part. Get up, grab the pager, and send a message requesting a meeting with the Head- It was important. (It really was though..)

Within 15 minutes, a page came back telling her to come up to his office.. Where she told him that her step brother Hisoka Goriya had recently passed away, leaving his son to his step sister as he had no closer relatives geographically- At least, that was the impression he and the rest of the government were under. (In reality, her sister was MUCH closer than herself..) Requesting that she leave to pick up 'Hisoka Koji' from her sister's house, she waited now for the Head's answer. Pacing her apartment now, she wondered if the man had bought the act.. Did she say the right things, had she looked the part?? Aiiiyaaaaaaa.....

The pager buzzed on the table at exactly noon, and she jumped for it. Reading the message on it, she quickly stopped worrying and instead started silently cheering. He had given her the benefit of the doubt it seemed. She was to pick up her tracer and bomb within 10 minutes from the Parking Lot gate by the ferry.

Tenshi practically _flew_ to her car with her lab coat still on. Which was understandable anyways.. It was, after all, her 'nephew' that she was picking up. A spark of happy news to brighten up her weeks! Ahhh.. If only they knew..

Of course, if they did, it would make things much worse.. Reaching the car, Koji was carefully hidden under the other bags and things in her car before she drove out and braced herself for what she was about to do.

If angels really were watching people from above..

She sure as hell hoped one was watching her now.

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When the car finally stopped, he didn't know what to expect. He hadn't expected a garage though. Popping the trunk open only after he was sure Tenshi had gone inside whatever building they were at, he gingerly stepped out into the darkness and looked around. Open garage, small house in what was most likely Tokyo.. He had expected an airport, maybe even a relative of Maideira, the agent assigned to watch Jino and Shinri during the mission.

Instead, he was in a dark garage that was amazingly easy to sneak out of. And he did just that, running as far as he could from the place once he was sure no one was looking- It was hard to not be seen in a neighbor hood at noon, but at least it was Friday and not Saturday. Then it would REALLY be difficult. Eventually he got far enough that he felt comfortable walking.. Looking around him, he was definitly glad he'd dumped the lab coat at Section F's building. It definitly would have made him stand out at the moment.

It was odd though, he thought to himself as he entered a small restaraunt further into the city, how the labcoat had felt loose on him though. Not oversized or anything, infact it was still the exact same length on him.. Just.. Loose.

Perhaps he could answer that later. For now however, he'd gone over 12 hours without using the facilities.. He reaaaally needed to go.

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When Tenshi reached her sister's house, she had to admit it made her a bit happier. She didn't mention Shindou of course- Even her sister didn't know about him- But it still cheered her to be able to talk with her about things. It was upsetting that she was on a time limit though..

She had quickly gotten to the point when she arrived. Tenshi needed a bunch of clothes for a young boy named 'Koji' that she would be caring for- Were there any available? There were of course.. Interestingly enough, she had been about to ship some off for her regular donations to Tenshi's 'hospital', a date which Tenshi had known about already. The woman left her sister's house with a bag full of clothes and a slightly lighter feel about her. This was, of course, after rearranging the bags and sitting 'Koji' up somewhat. He was still unconcious.. The shock must have knocked him out.. But otherwise, he was fine, and would only look asleep to those outside.

Besides, the windows in the back would be tinted anyways. Driving back, she managed to make it in the alloted time and get the bomb deactivated before carrying both the duffle bag, AND Gin upstairs. Something that people in the hall took notice of. She had to remind herself multiple times that she had 'nothing to hide', as she told them rather quickly that she needed to get her 'nephew' into a bed, as the drive had tired him out.

And so there they were. 'Koji' (She decided to refer to Gin this way in her mind, lest she confuse herself and ruin the cover some time during conversation) was now lieing on her own bed still unconcious.. And she was sitting next to it waiting for him to wake up.

It couldn't be that long.. She hoped so anyways.

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Looking in the bathroom mirror shocked Shindou to say nothing less, but at least explained the reaction of the young girl sitting in the corner of the cafe earlier. He did.. NOT look 40. Granted, he wasn't 40 to begin with, but either way he was past that milestone so he should have looked at least that age nonetheless.

Instead however, it was like looking at a Highschool photo. Something not only scary, but incredibly worrisome. First, this would definitly make it difficult to get a job.. He had hoped to avoid having to call someone for help, but with the appearance of an 16 year old, he'd likely be limited to working in cafes like the one he was in now.. Something he did NOT plan to do.

For another, there was a bit of an appearance issue. Before, he would have had to worry about being mistaken for his cousin Yuusaku.. Both had similar hair type, right down to the cowlick. And both of them had black hair, blue eyes, and as of now, glasses. The only real difference before was the fact that Yuusaku had a moustache, and he himself did not, as well as the fact that he grew his hair long enough for a short (VERY short) ponytail.

But now however, he was more worried about being mistaken for his supposedly dead cousin _once removed_- In other words, Yuusaku's son. Though Shinichi had brown hair, it was easilly mistaken for black.. And unless someone looked closely, or knew the teen personally, Shindou would likely find himself in a bit of a bind.

So he sat in a bathroom stall now, trying to sort things out. So far, all paths required the same thing.

"Ah... It seems I will need to call Yuu-kun... But I wonder.." Damn it.. Even his voice would likely sound similar if he was unlucky enough.. It wasn't quite as deep as it used to be now.

"Will he still remember me after these many years..?"

With that grave thought in mind, Shindou left the washroom and just as quickly the cafe, hoping that whatever he happened to have in his wallet at the moment would be enough to contact Yuusaku for the first time in 10 years.

He just hoped that the number would be redirected from their old house..


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: 'All Creatures Big and Small...'**

He honestly hadn't expected to see white. More red, or orange maybe, or even black. That's what hell was supposed to look like after all. He was definitly in enough pain for it. Sitting up and rubbing his head, he noted within a few bleary minutes that where ever he was, he was definitly alive. The white blankets were one of the giveaways, along with the soft voice that sounded right beside him.

"Ah.. You've woken up." Tenshi? What was she doing- His hand came off his head as memory of the events before loosing conciousness returned to him. Oh god... He lived.. He lived through that.. But what about.. "You might want to keep quiet for now.. You've been out for almost two days, nothing to drink since that point would make your throat rather dry I imagine.." The woman pointed to a glass of water as she said this, Gin taking it gladly as he drank it down.

The glass was quickly emptied. Placing it back on the table, he couldn't help but notice something off.. For one thing he thought, as he looked at the other side of him, the bed was oddly large for an apartment.. Though it WAS shared by two people but still. For another, Tenshi looked.. Well, TALL to put it simply. He hadn't voiced his suprise yet, but looking at her right now made him feel mighty small, something that was rather disturbing considering he was taller than her.

But what he only noticed just now.. Was his hands. The hand that had held the glass froze in place once he'd noticed this, his eyes narrowing as he slowly brought it back to the bed with a frown. He could feel Tenshi's gaze as he did so- Nervous and pale she was, and her heartbeat was actually audible.

His hand.. It seemed _smoother_ somehow. And not 'handcream' smooth. More like before his hands had been carved from a rock, and now the edges were all rounded. What did the chemicals do, round his fingers? Yet something unnerved him about this.. He mentally shook his head. That was not the issue right now. The problem was Shindou's location, along with his own. For one thing, shouldn't he have been unconcious in the hospital wing of the building instead of in Tenshi's apartment? Why wouldn't Tenshi have Shindou on the couch in that case, unless..

"Rioja.." He frowned again as he spoke Tenshi's codename out. His voice.. That was DEFINITLY not his voice. Grabbing his throat with one hand, he narrowed his eyes as he tried to speak again, hoping that the child-like noise that came from his mouth was just something brought on by the dryness. "Where is Shindou.." No.. It didn't change.. Still frowning, he waited for Tenshi to answer, noting that she looked much paler than she had a few seconds ago. If anything, she was about to-

No... He couldn't, he couldn't.. More than anyone in that damned room, he had deserved to die at that moment.. If he was alive and Tenshi was about to go into tears..

It wouldn't take much. "G-Gomen Gin... But.." Dammit, no.. "Shindou is dead.." With that she broke down crying, Gin himself turning away and biting his lip.

Damn it.. If he hadn't died from the pain he'd felt that time..

..No one deserved to die that way, at least not for him... No one.. At least not anyone he knew of.

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After finally going through a series of number pushing and extensions that Shindou was sure were meant to deter editors, he had finally gotten through to Yuusaku's phone.

"...Hello?" English.. That was right, he would likely be in the US at the moment. Ignoring that fact, Shindou breathed a sigh of relief and answered. He hoped that where ever it was in the states, it was not the side where it would be one AM..

"Ah.. Hi! Sorry if you're in the middle of something, but it was rather hard to-" He was cut off as Yuusaku spoke on the other line, his statement rather suprising Shindou.

"Shinichi! What are you doing calling the line this way, it's dangerous! It's easilly tapped from this end!! Although.. Whatever it is it must be important.."

He had been afraid of this.. Oh dear. Still, Shinichi was alive? Dangerous indeed if that was the case, not many were able to slip under the Organization's radar like this.. "Ah.. Actually Yuu-Kun, it's Shindou.."

"Shi-Shindou? But you sound exactly like.." There was a small silence on the other end, as though Yuusaku had quickly realized that he had said something rather quickly. However, he quickly came back to Shindou's relief, although his voice sounded a bit more stern. "In anycase.. You're probably the only one who called me that aside from Yukiko.. ....... But you did not sound like this 10 years ago, did something happen?"

"Ahaha.." Shindou laughed nervously before answering that. "You.. Could say that.." And with that he decided to move on with the reason he'd called in the first place.

He definitly needed a place to stay now.

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While Tenshi was crying, Gin was busy getting off the bed and finding out yet a few more strange and disturbing changes. For one thing, his clothes were much larger than before as well. Embaressingly enough, he was only wearing the sweater and labcoat he'd had from before. Before considering questioning Tenshi however, he noted that judging from the size his sweater was on him right now, the pants would have fallen off, disturbing as it was.

Most people would probably be screaming by now. However, as he hoped off the bed, the most he did was grunt with pain and suprise as the floor came a few seconds too late and he faceplanted himself into the carpet. Ack.. Rug burnt nose...

Standing back up, he was amazingly suprised to see Tenshi standing above him with enough height that she must have been twice his size. Everything... Was too fuckin' big..

He finally caved and asked. "...Tenshi.." Wince- His voice was definitly not something he would easilly get used to if he had to live with it like that for a while- And continue. "...What happened..."

The woman bent down to his height (That should not have been an acurate sentence!), smiling rather wryly before scratching her head nervously. "W-Well Gin.. Though I'm not quite certain, I would say that the chemicals of APTX successfully shrank you to child size.." She laughed nervously before letting those words sink in, studying Gin's face carefully.

.....What. The fuck. It sounded.. Accurate of course, considering height matters and the appearance his hands bore... But.. Still. Gin narrowed his eyes, before saying one thing that would clear up any doubt he had about this.

"...Mirror."

Was it a bad thing that Tenshi had one on her at the moment?

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After finally breaking the silence with an explaination of the situation Gin was now in, he was throughly pissed. Oh, most wouldn't know if of course, as his facial expression had barely changed.. But it was very much obvious to Tenshi just how livid he was. Then again it was understandable.. He had basically been told that not only would he be unable to do just about anything he actually enjoyed (Such as killing targets, shooting people with paintballs when the first wasn't able to be fulfilled, thinking of new ways to find Sherry..), but had he actually not been found and hidden under the disguise as a REAL child (Something he hadn't agreed too in the first place!), he likely would have been experimented on like a lab rat for the next few days until he dropped dead on his face anyways.

At least he was alive right? Oh yes. He was _alive_ alright. The kanji for his new name literally meant 'small child', and the clothes he'd changed into a few moments before had a children's manga character on the front of the shirt. Some blonde kid in orange. Not even Hell could be this bad he decided, so he was most definitly _alive_. But, all the same, he'd rather not be dead given the chance that Hell really WAS worse.. Not to mention there were many things for him to do before that point, and he'd like to get them finished.

So here he was. And that evening when Shinri returned from her mission, (Guided by a very annoyed Maideira.. Someone he'd never met honestly.) Tenshi was very.. Happy.. To introduce her 'nephew' (Something he was even more upset about at the moment) Koji. Would Shinri please be very nice to him and show him around the building in the morning while Tenshi went to work?

Shinri agreed. Lying on the futon that Tenshi had set up for the moment, he stared at the ceiling and wondered breifly if Shindou really would have gone to hell. The man was too nice really, no matter what number of lives he caused to end. Himself on the other hand.. He'd admit it. He could be a real ASS. At least he'd admit it though. Thoughts trailed over to Tenshi, and he frowned. Damn. He really was an ass. The woman pretty much saved him from one of the worst ways to end a life posible, and he's belting off death threats when the other kid isn't around.

Now that he thought about it.. This situation put him in debt to her and possibly Shindou as well. The man HAD come after him, and died because of it.. He may not have been much for feeling sympathetic, but he definitly had some honor. And he definitly owed at least Tenshi his life. He sighed, turning over as he thought about what he had agreed to before Shinri had arrived.

One, he would respond not to 'Gin' (If he did, it would be very awkward. This would be difficult.), but to Koji. (Equally difficult) This could take a bit of getting used to..

Two, he was going to be _nice_ to Shinri. Or at least bearable. Annoyed glares were allowed at the best, but that was it. Briefly, Gin- No, scratch that, Koji, briefly wondered if there was anyway to kill Tenshi after repaying the debt at the same time. It was likely impossible though.

Three, since there was pretty much nothing for a civillian child (Wince) to do in the Section, he would be following Shinri to her training locations during the week. If she was on a mission... Well, there were some books in the apartment. Koji wondered if it would be possible to take some shots during the training sessions Shinri took- If she was going to be practicing the art of sniping, he wanted to at least hold the damned rifle for a few seconds.

And finally, most importantly, when not alone with Tenshi in the apartment, or some other place that wasn't visually and audibly bugged, refer to her as 'Tenshi-obasan', since he was there under the cover as her nephew.

All in all, it wasn't.. Too.. Bad... What was he kidding, he was dead. But if he refused, he was still dead, because if Tenshi could beat Inuhen, who could beat him at his normal size _as a joke_ he did not want to see what she could do to him now. He was more than certain that his strength had diminished with any visual sign of maturity on him. Aside from his face. Koji probably looked like the scariest damn kid on the face of the earth if you looked him in the eye.

He had to get used to that now.. 'Koji'. But really of all names.. Pulling the blanket on the futon up, he rolled over again in an attempt to get to sleep. If he was right, that kid would proably wake up veeeery early.

Story of his life... Someone up there definitly hated him.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The morning came all too quickly for Gi- ...Koji.. Koji. Damn this was hard! Sitting up as he looked around, he noted that what woke him up wasn't Tenshi, Shinri, or even an alarmclock. It was the friggin' sunlight from the window.

Come to think of it, it was never this bright in his apartment.. There was a wall from the building directly across from it, fencing the place outside of it in rather interstingly... Walking over to the window now however.. Well, he still didn't see much, but at least he could see a tree. So then the building likely was in a wooded area.. Interesting. A voice from behind snapped him from his thoughts, the now just slightly shorter Shinri stareing at him. It would really take him some time to get used to this height difference.. In all honesty, it was almost frightening..

He couldn't have taken the pill form of APTX by accident? At least then he really WOULD have died.. Instead he was here, listening as a small girl told him that it was time for breakfast, and that if he wanted to survive the meal he'd grab some cereal NOW.

Koji decided to take her word for it, and after grabbing a chair (Dammitdammitdammit..), managed to grab himself a bowl before getting back down. Pouring himself a bowl of the cereal that Shinri had left on the table, he watched as Tenshi walked in mere seconds afterwards and frowned at the two 'children'.

"Mou... And I was going to make french toast.." Grabbing herself a bowl, Koji reminded himself to thank the kid later. She had probably just saved him from food poisoning.

Most of the morning passed in silence on his part, though he listened carefully as Shinri and Tenshi both spoke to each other about the former's mission. Appearantly it hadn't taken them nearly as long as they thought it would.. And since Jino had insisted that they do some sight seeing while there, they ended up dragging Maideira around Australia for a full three weeks time. They had their own miniture summer vacation.. In the middle of April. Though it was May now.. Two days he was asleep? That would make it the third.. Either way, the conversation running the table at the moment involved kangaroo's and coral reefs. Infact, Shinri was now asking if they could get a marine tank someday. Oi.... (Where would they get the fish anyways? The labs weren't experimenting on angel fish or anything..)

Breakfast was soon finished however, and after he got up and left to shower, he distinctly heard a knock on the door. Koji hurridly grabbed a t-shirt that seemed relatively void of childish characters, the rest of a set of clothes, and quickly shut the bathroom door and got into the shower. He had a pretty fair idea of who was at the door at the moment..

And he was begining to think that it was NOT coincidence that all this happen shortly before the return of his 'doppleganger'.

After the shower was over and done with and Jino made a few remarks on 'Mini-Gin' (You're one to talk, Koji thought to himself), Tenshi had handed Shinri a file and left the room. The girl in question quickly flipped through the file before grinning with delight. That was not a healthy smile.. It looked to much like the ones he made when he had a lead on Sherry.. That incredibly sadistic feeling he would have did not work here..

And so Koji's first week of childhood began with following Shinri to a room on the very lowest floor next to the parking lots, Basement Level 3, with obstacle courses. WHY they had these in the lowest rooms of the building, he would likely never know.. But most likely it had to do with the sheer immensity of the room's size. It was not JUST an obstacle course. This was a JUNGLE. A jungle of ropes and tire walls.

And both Shinri and Jino had a blast reminding him that Tenshi had said he had to participate with them. Koji would need to speak to her about this.. Needless to say, though the place looked overly large from the small balcony the entrance was in, it didn't look quite as bad from the start and finish lines. Most likely this was because it started directly beneath the balcony though, and because the balcony itself was only about 12 feet wide.

Jino sat on the one chair on the balcony still, Shinri dragging her new 'friend' over to the startline. Sitting from the chair and munching some pocky, the boy grabbed the megaphone that also sat at the balcony, and began calling out to them through it.

"Alright! We're the only ones here, so we've got free reign today! Shin-Chan, I'm sending you and Chibi-Gin through the entire course, ok!~"

Shinri made a small annoyed huff, muttering something about 'Shin-chan' not being a name she agreed upon while Koji simply glared. Chibi.. Gin.. Not only was it insulting, but it was sadly quite accurate. He had no time to do more than glare however, as at that moment the boy continued on.

"Alright! Now, once the doors open, each of you are going to try and make it back first ok! ...Chibi-Gin, please win, I betted on you!!" Wh-What!?! "On your marks..." Koji turned to the start line quickly, getting himself in position to run. He had no idea how fast Shinri was but.. If his body was around the average strength and size of a seven year old, he wouldn't be able to assume anything.

"Get set..." Shinri also got into position, taking off her rather heavy black sweater and leaning forwards in her t-shirt as she stared ahead. It looked like the girl wasn't taking chances with someone she didn't know either.

"GO!!" Both set off, Shinri determined to win to throw it in Jino's face, and Koji for the thought of what Jino would likely do if he lost. The first obstacle.. A net barely over a foot off the ground. Jino's voice sounded over the course, Koji turning around once he noted that Shinri had also stopped. Maybe it wouldn't be to hard.. But so far she had beat him here, so there was still a pretty big chance..

"Ok! Just crawl under this one!" Instantly Shinri took off, Koji blinking before following quickly behind. He was doing well so far.. Within a few seconds he'd passed Shiniri anyhow..

"Oooo!! Chibi-Gin! Look out look out!"

"gogogogogogogogogogogogogo!!!" What the crap!? Koji turned a head back, mouth wide with shock as Shinri suddenly started speeding past. Damn it! He was going to be left behind! Gritting his teeth, he sped up, the net part quickly ending as instructions were called out over the megaphone.

"Ok! Swing across the mud like Tarzan!"

Shinri took off first once more, going as far as the first rope before missing the second and falling in the water below. Tarzan.. Well THAT was specific. Grabbing the rope and swinging forwards, he waited for his second shot before grabbing the next.. And the next.. Meanwhile Shinri was beside him on her half finally picking up the correct movements from himself.. And ironically enough, she was now beating him with it. "Kuso...." Faster faster faster! If anything, he'd be in great shape when a cure for his new 'condition' was found!

If it was possible he told himself as he ran forwards into the next section- Tires. Hopping in tire after tire was tiring (Oh puns..), but it gave him more time to think seeing as how is slight height advantage was helpful here.. Some of these were tractor tires. All samples of the chemicals would be burned by now.. And who knew how much of what his body absorbed anyways? Not that he could really go back and say he was alive now anyways.. He reached the end of the tire trail, turning to the mid-point obstacle without looking back.

He was definitly ahead, he knew that much.. This one was rock climbing he noted, and the sheer height told him exactly why this room took up Basement floors 1 through 3. S-Shit.. He'd better not fall..

"Ah! Chibi Gin is in the lead! Chibi-San! Put on one of the harnesses and helmets, and then clip yourself on the rope! It will automatically hold your position depending on how high you are ok!~" What was it with the brat and nicknames.. Regardless, Koji grabbed the helmet and slammed it on, before putting on the harness and clipping himself on the rope. Shinri would have heard all that.. Knowing her memory, she would likely have an advantage now.. She wasn't far behind now he noted, small hands gripping the rocks carefully as he hoisted himself up. One.. Now the next.. The next one.. Avoid that one, he'd get stuck there..

How this helped here, he had no idea.. He could snipe targets on mountains from much easier points really. Half-way through, he heard a cry from below as Shinri almost slipped. Fuck.. She was alot closer than he would have hoped.. Looking up again, there wasn't much more.. But when he thought about it, she would probably be studying him the entire time up. He COULD purposly make mistakes, but she'd likely notice if he did that. Biting his lip, he continued on his way, moving quicker before reaching the top and unclipping the harness. Shinri was barely behind him, reaching the top just as he got the harness and helmet off.

Damn it.. Stupid small body.. The next obstacle was, quite simply, a rather steep hill to get back to the main floor. Jino's voice sounded over the 'field' once more, both competitors listening intently.

"Ok! You'll notice that there are hurdles on the hill, along with one jump before the final obstacle.. Put it simply you two, you're running down hill while jumping hurdles, and jumping over that oddly tall looking beam thing!" Squinting down to look at it, Koji had to think it looked more like a pommel horse than anything, but he had no time to think about those things. Shinri took off before him, causeing him to be at the disadvantage once again.

"DAMN IT!" Taking off running, he had to struggle not to trip over his own legs as he hopped the first hurdle. There weren't many, but it was pretty damned hard on a hill this steep- You'd get moving so quickly you couldn't stop. A call from up two hurdles ahead told Koji that Shinri was at the jump, Jino's voice clearly filled with grief as he announced the rules of the next obstacle.

To put it simply, it was a race through a synthetic forest. And shit.. Shinri seemed to be pretty good at running... He was quickly brought back to reality when he skidded to a stop after the last hurdle however, to save himself from becoming part of the scenery itself. Reaching the pommel horse, he paled slightly however, as the sheer height was rather.. Intimidating. A few steps back.. Koji ran forwards and leaped, grabbing the end of the pommel horse and flipping himself over before landing square on his feet. A bit shaky.. Hiiii...

"Uooaaaaa!! Wonderful jump! Now hurry, before Shin-Chan wins!!!" That WOULD be what Jino would say.. Shaking himself off, Koji took off running into the synthetic wilderness, without anyway to tell if he won until he got out.

In the end it was a rather close tie. Jino was elated at first, thinking that it was only if Koji lost that he would loose the bet, until someone pointed out to him and his betting partner (A young girl his age named Rina. She looked oddly like Vermouth.. This was all to creepy really.) that since neither of their conditions were met, both would just get the money they started with. Thankfully however, Jino hadn't lost anything because of this, so for the moment Koji was spared of any force-feedings of pocky. Or whatever else Jino would have likely done.

The next few days went rather swiftly in a similar pattern. Sometimes it was a 'game' similar to paintball, using sleep darts instead to mimick a kill if they were shot. Depending on the area it hit, they would have time to live and shoot back granted.. But getting shot in the head still resulted in a large headache after they woke up.

One on One on One on One with himself, Shinri, Jino and 'Dao' (Or Rina as she preferred) was definitly.. Interesting. For one thing, though Rina had only just recently passed the code-exam (Appearantly, when Tenshi had said 'few' she included this girl in the description), she was definitly a 'Jack of all trades' when it came to hunting you down and killing you. In the end, Shinri was taken from behind with a shot to the head, though at the last moment she turned to shoot her attacker in the shoulder- Jino. Jino in turn managed to last one full hour before getting shot from behind at a distance by himself. The combinded doses of sleeping fluid knocked him out about 12 seconds after the shot landed.

One left.. Koji had quickly packed up his own equipement to look around for Rina, deciding rather quickly that these events were much more worthwhile than the 'social nights'. Though Jino still dragged him to Paintball, and more recently the addition of Rina made it quite interesting. She was NOT afraid to take advantage of her gender with them sadly enough.. A noise from behind alerted him, and he quickly turned with the gun and pointed it at.. Nothing. Turning around just as quickly, he found Rina about to pull the trigger.

She grinned. "Mah mahhhh.. You're pretty good at this kid!" It wasn't a scary grin or anything.. If anything, it was very childish. His own was quite serious however, as they both had each other at their mercy. "So who's gonna go first I wonder? There's a reason why this room is under visual survailance yah know." Damn it.. She had just as many grammar issues as Jino..

----------------------------------------------------

It was a tie in the end, as both got tired of waiting and fired at the same moment- As it was their last 'bullet' (Koji had been trying to snipe Shinri originally, but it seemed that her senses were a more heightened for long-range than short for some reason.), and both managed to hit each other's bullet, they wound up with nothing else to do but wait for Shinri and Jino to wake up.

Shinri had a rather large headache for the rest of the week, and consequently Koji was stuck reading Tenshi's detective novels for that time. Jino however, who had gotten hit directly along the spine, was feeling immense amounts of pain below his waist for the same amount of time. For this reason, he was pretty much condemed to his apartment, which was now shared with a hacker agent named 'Tepache'.

Tepache was a very, VERY heavy smoker, from the U.S. and had the habit of volunteering for events and things that Jino and the others just so happened to be at. The boy avoided his apartment like the plague on weekdays for the smoking reason, and if Tepache was in the area, one could be sure that Jino would be able to tell before they saw him. You never knew though.

After he recovered however, things were returned to general normalacy, and Koji was soon back to Shinri's trips to shooting 'games', obstacle courses, and every so often..

A rather interesting sniping practice that he was all too framilliar with. Shinri didn't participate in these however, and merely watched Koji and the others from afar of course, but it was always fun to shoot holographic targets from figurative distances. It rather unnerved him that Shinri was always fidgiting when they left from these however, and something told him that she had yet to learn how to use a sniper rifle properly.. Something that was completely beyond him, as he'd known for _years_ before gaining the codename 'Gin'.. Maybe something in the exam?

So finally after almost two months as Koji, he decided to make a decision about this. Teach Shinri to snipe, before she decided that sitting on the sidelines was boring and his favorite thing about the place was quickly reduced to ashes.

At least that was the reason he gave Tenshi when he asked about some time in that place. He wouldn't want to admit that he was going to be _nice_ to the brat for once after all..

Something told him that the woman knew however.. But that aside, what the hell did it matter anymore?

It was better than dieing from to many sleeping darts.. And he was STILL recovering from the headache resulted from the last shoot-off with Shinri and her friends.

Besides, couldn't be that hard right? Look how fast she picked up the Japanese and English language? She made some slips with the latter, but hey! Pretty damn good for a 'two year old'.

.....God was HE in for a suprise.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: The Poison Called 'DNA Toxin 1040' (Or: How To Teach Kids To Use Rifles)**

June the 22nd was when Koji brought Shinri to the first Basement floor to start 'training'. He took out two 'laser rifles', handing one to Shinri, and keeping one too himself. For rather clear reasons, the girl was thoughly confused.

"Ano.. Koji-Kun! I can't use a-" She cuts off, going beet red as Koji simply stares. Well, she confirmed THAT part of it, not that he didn't know..

He smirked, before turning to the hologram target being displayed at the moment. "I know. That's why I'm going to teach you so that I can still come here, and you don't sit in the corner like a kicked puppy." The comment seemed to have it's affect on Shinri, as she immediatly lost the red face in exchange for a derterminded and possibly pissed look. "Now get over here, and watch carefully..."

And thus began a lesson that would involve many large misses and a throughly annoyed Koji.

It had been two weeks since he started teaching Shinri to use a sniper rifle. The most progress they had made so far was the fact that the girl was not thrown across the room by the force of the rifle. Now if they could only get her to hit the target rather than the _teacher._

Today however, Saturday, they were taking a break. Something that sadly did not spare them when Tenshi shut the door and announced she was making lemonade for them. But they were strong, and they would survive the drink! .... Hopefully at least..

Sitting at the table, Shinri looked over at Koji with a slightly fearful look, the boy in question masking his emotions greatly.

In reality, he was probably just as, if not more scared than she was. Tenshi's cooking, even when the food was NOT cooked, was to be reckoned with. The woman came with a glass in each hand, passing one to Shinri and another to Koji before going back to grab her own.

One last fearful look.. Bottoms up! He took a sip first, before puckering his face from the taste.

"So?..." Shinri looked at him with large eyes, waiting for him to say something. "How is it?"

He looked at the lemonade after swallowing the first sip and looked over at Tenshi. "It's very.. Sweet. Not deadly at all." There was only one time where he'd tasted Tenshi's cooking as Koji so far- She had attempted to make them Bento. So as not to upset her, they promised to eat every bite of it.

Famous. Last. Words. Jino had asked them, multiple times, if they had been walking past one of the animal testing facilities when they were eating. Koji simply frowned and told him, he didn't _know_ where those rooms were. It was true of course, because he DIDN'T... Shinri had yet to show him around the building really. But either way, Tenshi's cooking. Not good.

And yet the lemonade tasted fine aside from being rather sweet. Shinri took a sip of hers, swallowing before smacking her lips a bit. "This isn't that bad actually.." She turned to Tenshi after saying this, calling to her as the woman sat down herself. "Neh, Tenshi-Neesan, did you use a mix for this?"

Needless to say, they finished the drinks very quickly so as to avoid the wrath invoked by Tenshi, leaving the apartment only after drinking ALL of the lemonade.

At least the many hours 'banished' from the apartment gave him time to look around the building more. There were many.. MANY things he could now add to the list of unnatural occurances at Section F.

For starters, after running through the building for a bit and ending up on the 'Animal Testing Floor', which, oddly enough, was number 13, they found themselves rather lost. Shinri had never actually been to this floor, and it was all very.. New. The first thing they'd done after passing many halls with apartment doors labled things like 'Fluffy' was find a washroom. Drinking as much lemonade as they had, it seemed Shinri REALLY needed to find one. They did, and to Koji's suprise as he waited outside, there was not only a door for the men's and women's, but two others labled 'Intelligent Male Experiments' and 'Intelligent Female Experiments'.

He saw a dog walk into the 'Male's' room. The more disturbing part was that shortly after this, there was a flush sound, followed by a tap, and then the dog walked out.

The animal testing floor was a scary place.

They eventually made their way out, continuing their explorations before coming to another section of the building labled 'Aquarium'. It seemed that the Section F building in fact HAD tested on Angelfish, along with just about every other fish in existance. Watching fish act like cats, or birds, or even people, was something he would not quite forget.. But at least it entratained Shinri to no end as they walked through the dark tunnel of glass and watched fish swim around.

Some of them were making oddly burbled 'bark's. And one of them was probably the closest damn thing to a mermaid he'd ever seen. This place was scary. Eventually they found the exit after a rather helpful.. Cat oddly enough.. Pointed towards the exit with one of it's forearms. At least that's what Shinri insisted it was doing. Koji was too busy thinking that he had definitly not had enough sleep the night before.

No wonder they had an 'occult night' here..

Days passed on, and finally Koji was glad to come to the conclusion that Shinri was at least passable with a sniper rifle. Not as good as himself of course- He'd trained for years, and fast as Shinri could learn things with her mind, her body could NOT. It seemed that it was the same with languages- Her tongue made slip ups because it was not used to speaking a language other than English, in the same way that her hand would slip on the rifle because she was not used to useing both for one weapon.

Friday morning they stood in the same room where they started, Koji motioning for Shinri to come over.

"Ok. We're going to review what I've taught you so far.. Grab your rifle." She did so, and then looked at him as though to say 'What next?' Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he calrified for her. "You are going to detail, step by step, what you do before you fire a rifle, and what you do _while_ fireing a rifle." Once again, Shinri nodded, before walking over. If she could do this.. She would probably be able to successfully use this during missions. Not likely as much as Jino (Appearantly, he too, was a very good shot. That would be where the headache originated.), but good enough nonetheless.

Her voice snapped him out of these thoughts, and he watched carefully as Shinri lifted the rifle and spoke. "No matter what position I'm in, the rifle end needs to be against my shoulder, to keep it from moving too much, as well as from slamming into my shoulder after I fire.. Generally the rifle is on a stand, but for now I will hold it as thought I'm standing." So far so good.. Begginers tended to dislocate their shoulders if they didn't do this.

"Next, I look through the scope at the target, matching the crosshairs to the fatal point.."

Ah, here was one of the other things he had to check.. "What if the target is moving at high speeds Shinri?" It wasn't until later that he realized that her having no name put them at first name basis from the start.. From code to first name basis, how DID that work..

Shinri didn't move, instead fireing the gun and hitting the target squarely before continuing as the hologram changed to a moving target. A train. "If it's moving, then the farther away I am, the slower it will seem.. But it helps to hold the rifle pointed at the point it is traveling to from a short distance away, before moving it to match the speed of the train inorder to keep the target. Also, depending on the distance and speed.." At this exact moment she fired again, a small buzzer sounding to let them know that the bullet had hit. "Make the cross hairs line up slightly higher, and slightly to the side where the target is moving to cover the distance difference."

Koji nodded as it sounded, before reading the distance that she'd fired from. Hnn.. Not bad. 400 meters. That was definitly faster learning than he had.. Shaking this off, he looked at Shinri again before speaking. "What about the wind, and the distance? Do these affect the shooting?" Stupid question on his part, but teachers asked stupid questions when making sure the student knew everything..

"Those would be calculated before hand, otherwise the bullet could be anywhere from meters to mere milimeters off target." With that, the screen faded and she lowered the rifle to look at her 'friend'.

He had to smile. It would probably be one of the few Shinri ever saw, but it was a genuine, small, smile in anycase. "Very good, Shinri." She did pretty damn good for two weeks! More like perfect.. Given the right training.. He continued, throwing Shindou's earlier words on 'the perfect assasin' out the window. "You've completely nailed it."

There was a pause.. And then a grin from his student. "Heeeee... Yay!!!!" Ok. That was unexpected. Koji watched as Shinri pumped her fist in the air and cheered, packing up her rifle (And perfectly) as she did so. "Now I don't have to look for new books!!"

Ahhh... Let the kid have her fun. After this kind of acheivment, she deserved it.

..... (Maybe he WAS getting soft..)

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Saturday morning, he slept in for what was probably the first time since Inuhen tampered with his alarmclock. It was strange though.. By the time he woke up, it was 10, and he had gone to bed EARLY this time. He shook his head and got off the futon, ignoring this, folding it up and putting it to the side. Speaking of sleep.. When was he going to get an actual bed? Tenshi had said something about getting a bunkbed in Shinri's room, he could sleep there.. But thought sleeping on the floor wasn't always painful at times, it was a bit annoying to be using the sun as an alarmclock. What would happen when the days got shorter?

Ignoring this, he started over to the shower, passing Tenshi on his way. "Ah? Koji.. I thought you left with Shinri!" Shinri wasn't here? Weird..

He frowned, one hand on the door to the washroom. "Shinri.. I only just woke up though..." Opening the door, he started in before turning back around to look up at Tenshi. "Although.. Where is she right now?"

The woman seemed oddly pleased by this question. "Shinri? She left to get some things for an upcoming festival.." Festival? .....He'd say he'd heard everything here, but that trip to the 13th floor proved him wrong already.. "It occurs on the roof each year in August. She didn't tell you?"

He shook his head no, before shrugging it off. He probably wouldn't have gone anyways really.. The conversation ended there, Tenshi heading off to the kitchen (*shudder*), and he himself making sure the clothes he'd laid out wouldn't get wet from any drops of water that made it past the shower curtain. Once this was assured- Wet clothes weren't fun.. - He started the shower up and got ready while waiting for the water to heat up.

The shower didn't take long- It normally didn't of course, but somehow it felt especially short this time. Ignoring it again (Why was he feeling so paranoid NOW of all times? Maybe it was Tenshi's presence in the kitchen..), he stepped out of the shower to change, putting on some pants before walking over to where he'd put the rest of the clothes.. And then tripping over something rather slippery.

"Tch!" Koji turned, frowning at the guilty bar of soap on the floor before picking it up. -_slip-_ -_slisht!-_ "Ach!" The bar slipped through his hands, and a quick slice of pain was felt as his finger nail cut his thumb at the same moment. Holding his thumb up, Koji watched with confusion as the cut quickly welled with blood and began to dye it red. Odd.. Nails weren't that..

He quickly turned on the sink beside him and ran the thumb under the water. Whatever.. He needed to get this clean so he could wrap up the- ...Cut? The boy held his thumb up to his eye, squinting as he looked at the pinprick incision before it vanished before his eyes. It.. It healed. It just _healed_. More importantly (He could handle healing. It was nice) however, the nails that caused it.

They were BLACK. Black nails.. They were NOT black before he took a shower! There was a slight numbing sensation speading over his arm as he studied the fingers in question, a feeling that quickly turned to blinding pain as he gripped it. Accckk... What.. Looking down at his arm however, pain was the least of his issues as his skin actually started turing black in some places. Eyes widened with shock as Koji held his hands up. What.. Stripes.. Black stripes, what the he-

"Unng!!" The pain grew stronger. It wasn't nearly as bad as APTX granted, but it hurt like hell frozen over, that was for sure.. His mouth felt like it was stretching beyond what was healthilly normal, his teeth even more so (Granted they probably weren't stretching so much as REARRANGING THEMSELVES).. What the hell was going on!? He could hear a heck of a lot more too.. Tenshi was in the kitchen, turning around from the 'slight' sounds he had made falling back against the wall.. Scents, he could _smell _her coming now.. He'd have grabbed his head and held if for all the pain he was in, but his midsection felt worse honestly.

"K-Koji?" She was knocking on the door now, Koji in question reaching up to grab the sink and pull himself up despite the pain. Looking in the mirror was a shocker.. He barely supressed a yelp as he jumped back, staring at the mirror with sheer horror. Where had he seen THIS before? Half his face looked ok he supposed.. Aside from the fact that his eye was slowly turning blue but.. The other half barely looked human at all! His face was _still_ changing, along with the rest of his body.. Looking down at his arm, covered in white and black fur and now growing..

The door opened slowly and Tenshi walked in to see Koji leaning against the wall bitting his lip.. Albeit with slight difficulty as the upper one was currently larger than the lower. Ears pointed slightly and his legs suddenly gave way with a crack as some of his bones decided to grow and shrink as well.. And she hadn't screamed yet.

There was only one possible reason for all this, he thought to himself as he took in deep breaths and looked at her. And if she didn't say anything..

"White tiger.." Hang on, what was she saying.. "The book you read last night, it was on Chienese constalations.. The last one on the page you were at, it was on the Byakako.." Well, she was certainly calm wasn't she!? He had the sudden urge to maul her with a clawed hand right now, however his arm was currently still to heavy to lift.

"You.." He struggled to stand again on now digitigrade legs, using his normal arm to hold the other. "You did this.." Where had he seen something like this before.. Inuhen. Bells were ringing instantly. Inuhen was showing changes like this in that film.. But she said there were no samples of whatever did that left.

Inuhen was also staying at Tenshi's during the times when she was being studied for after effects from that same poison. Tenshi was the only other one in the room, and aside from Shindou and Maotai, who were both dead, she was the only one on the same team for that poison.

It took exactly ONE WEEK for it to take effect from what Inuhen had stated. Tenshi..

She nodded. "That's true.. But if you don't listen now you'll have more to worry about than just that fact."

"WORRY?!" His voice sounded hoarse, like some twist between his current voice, his original voice, and a growl. "Why would I WORRY? You fucking poisoned me!!" There was a pause before he continued uncharacteristaclly ranting- At least it helped to not think about the pain. "It was the lemonade right? I _knew_ it tasted better than you should've managed!! I ca- argk.. graaaakk.." He dropped the 'tiger arm' rather uncerimoniously and grabbed at his throat with the normal one. _"Dammit!"_ "GRRrrr..." Nothing was coming out in HIS language now was it?

Tenshi simply stooped down, grabbing his normal shoulder and looking him in both eyes as he glared back. "Listen to me," she said calmly. "And I will help you. This poison was key in an escape plan I formulated months before, something that you are not about to know of at the moment. It wasn't until later that I decided you would be more suitable for that part of the plan."

"GRAAAAHHH!!" _"Plan!?! You PLANNED this?" _Damn. He had to remember he couldn't talk. The woman infront of him simply continued to stare at him, her gaze more than serious as she continued.

"That is not the point right now. The poison I gave to you is called 'DNA Toxin 1040'. It is the last of it's kind, as any and all parts of that reasearch project were disposed of. At least this is what the Organization belives." She'd better be glad audio and visual survailance were gone.. "I still have two other samples.. But for now I will explain what you need to do. This poison creates a second DNA code in the body from thoughts and ideas in the brain, and after choosing it will begin to attempt control over the first by mutating the body to it's will. The DNA in question will always be a complete strand, matching an animal of any possible speciae. In a sense, it is like a non-fatal form of cancer."

"!!!!!" _"C- YOU FUCKING GAVE ME WHAT!?!" _Had he been in his right mind at the moment, he probably would have realized that speaking (Or rather attempting to speak) this was was definitly not like him, and that the DNA was likely affecting his brain at the moment. You don't piss off a tiger of any kind.

And still Tenshi continued to speak. "It is like cancer, but a controllable kind. When Inuhen.." She paused here, turning away before regaining her composure, "When this happened last time, it was found rather quickly that simply focusing slightly on remaining as yourself will spur the first code to action as well. After this, both will fight each other at a constant rate, balancing the cycle, and holding the original form completely. Picture yourself as you once were.. Do this and I promise you will return to your first form."

It was a long shot.. But, calming himself down a bit, he shut his eyes and did this. It wasn't as though it would get worse.. Though the pain was hard to think through, he had a feeling that if this 'mutation' continued, he wouldn't have any pants anymore.. Himself as he once was.. Damn it, how many times did she think he looked in the mirror now? The only time he did was to brush his hair-

Almost as if on comand, the fur on his head retracted, and his ear returned to it's original position and size. His hair returned to it's correct length, and he could feel the weight returned to normal there. Ah. So it DID work that way. Alright then.. Looking at his still normal arm, he pictured the same, albeit flipped, on his left side. Fur dissapeared, along with stripes and claws.. His face, his face should resemble..

Himself. He had to sigh in relief before glareing at Tenshi with once more green eyes and gritting his teeth before speaking. ".... You POISONED me why, again?" He was calmer now at least- But there were two things bugging him now. One was the more obvious point that he'd just stated, along with '1.5' that involved the fact that effects could possibly involve growing a tail. He could hear Jino's voice if that happened.. 'Wuoooo!! It's a Neko Gin!' .... He suppressed a shudder at that.

The other fact was that before he even thought about possibly shooting Tenshi in the face for this someday, was the fact that as he was alive and more or less himself only because of Tenshi's words.. he still owed her his life. Ooooooggg... Life debts could be such troublesome things sometimes..

Tenshi coughed nervously, before standing up. "I'll explain in the living room.. In the meantime, put the rest of your things on alright?" Oh yea. No shirt on at the moment. Nodding in agreement (Still glareing), he quickly slipped on his t-shirt, before following the woman out of the room. Taking a seat on the couch, he decided to ask a few questions to clear a few things up from the most important to the least.

"..Tomoyo.. What else do I need to know about this poison?" It would be best to know NOW after all- He'd rather not randomly sprout a tail or something infront of a crowd of people..

Taking a seat on the chair across from the couch, Tenshi nodded. "Plenty. I simply wanted you to calm down before it took full effect.." She coughed, before continuing. "I will explain everything, so listen well.."

-------------------------------------------

_DNA Toxin, or DNATX as strange as it sounds, was (As mentioned) originally one of the many attempts to immortality in pill form. However, only myself and Inuhen (And soon you) actually know if just how close it came. In a sense, it truely did end up fulfilling those wishes- Healing so quick that a decapitation attempt was even recoverable, it was turely perfect in that sense (Although Inuhen still felt pain when she was cut, or bruised, so though it heals, the nerves are still fully functional..) . Infact, it was noted after a year or so that Inuhen-Chan didn't even age anymore.. The time it was ingested was around when we were all 20.. However, she, who is over 40 now, still appears that age. ("Wait," said Koji, "I'm going to be this small forever now!?!") Ahaha.. Most likely the ageing halts after maturity however.. ("It better!")_

_These facts were not discovered until later however, after an incident quite simlar to yours. In the end however, she had taken the complete form of a fox.. It took us a few hours before we realized it could be reversed, and that was only because Inuhen was whining and staring at her photo before she began turning back.. After that, no other incidents like this happened, although early on there were a few slips due to drunkness (This would be why she seemed that way all the time- It seems her fox side is more easilly affected by alcohol.. ), or even a few rare cases around twilight while eating. That was probably because of the fox's general activiy in the wild around it's natural meal- Both cases occured when I tried to cook chicken._

_No Koji, the chicken was not cooked badly!_

_*cough* In anycase. It was after this that we realized that it would be rather easy to switch between the codes of DNA, and later, even manipulate it slightly. Most of the work is done unconciously by the brain.. And that work is merely spurred by thought. We came to the conclusion that the initial change is a result of the brain focussing on the second chain of DNA so intently to begin with.. We were quite lucky to find this out early, as eventually it would likely affected Inuhen-Chan's thought process._

_Basically, it is possible to alter the DNA codes so that the second form is taken, but the larynx of the first are still retained for example- Allowing speech. It's truely an amazing pill.. Now on to the second part of this conversation.. I have two samples left. (And no, Shinri didn't take any of this..) Both of these are kept very secret, and very safe. More importantly however.._

_Shortly after I read the file detailing Shinri's final year of mission status, I came up with a plan to escape with her. I would take one of the DNA poisons, and use it's ability to aid in the escape. However, shortly after you arrived, I realized that if this happened, you would likely be left with no possible escape yourself- It was very well probable that what ever DNA I wound up with would be useless to the cause anyways. This way, it's quite clear that you can escape yourself as well though, which is good, because if I dissapeared and you yourself did not, it would cause quite a few problems really.._

_In anycase, I'll be taking the other two samples with us, so don't worry._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------_

Don't worry? It was really quite easy TO worry.. For one thing, if Tenshi was right about all this, he probably had a LOT to thank her for.. Immortality as well as the ability to MAUL PEOPLE TO DEATH was something to be thankful for really. But why didn't she take one anyways? Two samples, two people aside from him escaping.. And why was it required anyways, it didn't make any sense..

He'd asked about that of course, but his only answer had been a smile that said 'I probably wouldn't be too helpful then.' ..... Something was definitly off here.. However, as he told himself for the umpteenth time that evening, he would definitly need to figure all this out on his own. Strange and unreal as this was, it DID exist now.. And he'd rather not spawn a tiger face or something during the next One on One (On one on one) battle.. Speaking of which, he wondered if sleeping darts still held affect.. Though if pain did, they probably would.

So, a week later, he stood at the 13th floor with a plan to fully master this.. 'Ability'. Which, as much as he hated to say it (Considering the conditions it came with along with how immature the phrase would sound).. It was _really_ kinda 'cool'. Or 'awesome'. Or.. Oh never mind, at least he still had a way to get at Sherry when he got out of this place.

Although that would likely just get Animal Control after him.. Damn.

Wandering the 13th floor with a much better made map in hand (How was it that a cat could make better maps than the engineers of Section F? Who the hell knew, he'd given up on most logical explainations after coming to the place in the first place.. He had no doubt in mind that it was Vermouth who got him sent here now..), Koji was now looking around for a room that went relatively unmonitored by camera and audio. So far there were a few places.. But none of them were anywheres near large enough.

Which left him sitting on a bench in the middle of one of the floor's hallways, reading yet another book on Tigers. The more he knew the better- So far, from what he knew of Inuhen's experience, he decided that he should avoid raw meat during the evening, avoid getting too suprised around evening hours.. The list of menial things went on, but if he wanted to retain any form of respect around Shinri's friends, he would follow it very diligently. While he did now likely have the ability to maul and swallow them, he'd prefer NOT to do that. Partially because, quite honestly, it was very messy and he could quite possibly start eating it if the Tiger DNA got out of hand. Also, since he owed Tenshi anyways, it would be best not to kill anyone. She was such a pacifist really..

Besides, they were kids. He didn't kill kids, not unless they were key witnesses to something he did. Aside from that, let the brats be.. There was always a chance that they might end up SMART when they grew up. (Though there was that one brat, what was his name.. Damn, couldn't remember. It was at Tropical Land though, he knew, that he'd poisoned a kid. Whatever, kid stuck his nose where it shouldn't have been anyways really..) In anycase..

Back to buisness.. He needed to find a decent training location. Studying the map once more, he frowned as he noticed a few spots that went over or under into the 12th and 14th floors. If he was right, they ended up in the black areas on the maps of those floors.. Most apartments were filled in with black as well, including his own.

Perhaps the black meant that there was no survailance? Folding up the map and grabbing the books he'd brought along, he decided to give it a shot and headed for the one that merged with the 12th floor. Anything was possible really.. Though he wished he'd noticed that BEFORE he got to the opposite side of the building.

True to what he'd assumed, the gym as it appearantly was, was not monitored in anyway. And more interestingly.. It was completely dominated by animals. There wasn't anything really far from realistic thought in there- It wasn't as though they were all speaking Japanese- but nonetheless, it gave Koji a pretty good idea of what the term 'Intelligent Experiments' had actually meant.

Animals that could actually learn to use exercise equipment was one of them. Then again, this was something you could see OUTSIDE of the Section building anyways.. Dogs running on treadmills, penguins going to the store to get fish on their own.. It was likely just an increased intell level really.

He was both grateful and confused when he saw that they had changerooms until he saw a few dogs with t-shirts walk into one. Hahaha.. How _cute_. Dogs could now not only wear stupid t-shirts, but change into _other_ stupid t-shirts.

What he was more suprised about was the fact that nothing in there seemed to be bothered by him that much. Maybe it was the way he smelled- It was bound to be tigerish by now..

Walking into the 'Intelligent Male Experiment' change room (Ignoring the fact that this technically applied to him in full.. Stupid Tenshi, he _felt_ like a human experiment now.), it looked much like a normal one. The main difference was that there were some lockers with additional devices for the animals lacking opposable thumbs (Which was just about everything but the primates really..), along with larger ones for larger animals, larger bathroom stalls for larger animals, and smaller for smaller ones etc.

Koji briefly wondered why the Section was building all this and continuing whatever research they were doing on animal intelligence, but decided not to bug himself with that for now. As he decided long ago- The Section F of the organization was not all completely there. For all he knew, they were trying to train an army of super animals or something.. He wouldn't put it past them.

For now he walked into one of the larger washroom stalls and locked the door, spending a few moments figuring out how to do so without thumbs. After that, he got out of his clothes, and focused on his 'other half'.

Transformation was definitly painful. It didn't take long mind you, but there was definitly a battle going on in the unconcious portion of his brain as he did this. After all of it was over, he had to blink a few times before shaking his head and grabbing the clothes with his teeth. It was strange.. His height barely changed really, but there seemed to be a few less colours in the world with tiger eyes.. He knew animals didn't see at all the same as people but.. God, it was something that threw him off. Not to mention heightened senses- It was like being able to read someone's mind. He could tell what he'd eaten _last week_. Tenshi's cooking. Ewwww....

Shrugging it off, he padded over and unlocked the door before stepping out, startling a mouse that had been peeping under the stall before looking in the mirror to take in the change.

Had he not had a slight idea of what he'd look like the first time he tried this, he probably would have made some sort of noise with suprise. (He didn't know what a suprised tiger sounded like, and he probably wouldn't bother remembering. The last thing that was going to end up affected in an lapse of control over DNA would be larynx, he was sure.) Koji definitly looked like a tiger.. Though the eye colour change was definitly the most notable. Blue. Then again, the only other eye colour a white tiger would have was red, and technically that would be an albino not a 'white tiger'..

Either way, the general change in appearance was suprising he concluded, and with that decided to take advantage of the tiger's current passiveness (It was noon. A _normal_ tiger would probably be taking a nap at the moment.) by shoving the clothes from his mouth and into a locker before walking out of the changeroom, and ignoring the stares that experimental dogs and cats were giving. They didn't see a tiger enter.. Oh well.

He had a feeling the cats would be more suspicious.. And there was that nagging voice that told him that any member of the Felidae familly would have a clear idea of what he was thinking/trying to say/feeling.. Once again, the tiger half shrugged it off however, and Koji continued to walk around the gym to look at just what would be benificial to him here. So far it was plainly obvious of at least one thing however.

He was definitly going to be spending as much time as possible there for the next few days.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Floor Number Nine- Section F's Shopping District!**

Days continued to pass with relative continuity. Shinri was clearly told by Tenshi that Koji wouldn't always be following her to her training sessions- Though generally what happened was he was stuck mornings with Shinri for 'training' sessions, and given free time to use otherwise in the afternoon.

The 'Tiger' (As Koji refered to the other half of his current body that seemed to have it's own idea on things.) seemed to like this anyways, as after lunch the body felt well nourished and quite relaxed. Unfortunatly, as he felt relaxed, Koji did not at all feel like actually moving in the gym, and had been barked, chirped, and growled at multiple times for this.

Was it that bad that each time this happened, he didn't care? ...... Tigers were too laid back...

His suspicion on the cats were proved during his first day there however, when he'd almost tripped over a kitten. Said kitten's mother was most pissed. And she was not at all afraid of Koji. It took quite a while to get the cat to leave him alone.. And when the queen finally calmed down, it made a rather obvious statement that said 'Oh. I've never seen a tiger.', and refused to stop following him. The Tiger was even annoyed by this.. At least it helped when he needed to find a water fountain he could actually use.. Although oddly enough the rabbits (Which the Tiger constantly told him to remember so he could eat them later.) seemed to be running everything, and he could smell quite a few studying him as they wrote things down with pens they held in their mouths. The rabbits had oddly long tails for some reason...

In anycase, Koji was definitly getting the hang of his 'other half', and was starting to spend a few more days away from the 13th floor now. (That floor may have been fine with the _Tiger_, but it scared the shit out of _him_ at times- Cerberus was a mythical beast, he should not find three headed puppies in hallways!) Something that was definitly good for him, as on the 13th of August, Shinri announced that he would be taking her to the rooftop festival that saturday.

He didn't even KNOW how to get to the roof.. And why was it going to be held on the roof anyways?? If the building was surrounded by wooded forest, then wouldn't it be better to simply make a section large enough for it? ..... (Why were they even _having_ a festival?)

But the announcement had taken it's toll, and Shinri was more than pleased to add that she would be taking him (Read 'dragging him') to the 'shopping section' of the building that Friday.

See.. As Section F was relatively secluded from the rest of the world, there was one floor of the building dedicated to buying and selling. Some rooms sold clothes, some food.. Those two sections were the only ones he was framilliar with. And it was during that time that he found out what many of the adult agents of Section F did when they had smaller and less demanding jobs to work on. (He had been quite glad that his was full time.)

However Shinri, having been one of the few people in the building to even bother trying to see every room possible in Section F, knew about many OTHER places on that Floor.

It could take 5 hours to traverse a single floor in Section F, due to the many halls and rooms.

....

It was quite clear really. He was doomed.

That morning started like most of the others since the toxin took it's effect on Koji. He woke up at about 3, went back to sleep, and then woke up fully around 8. Stupid Tiger waking him up that early.. He stretched his arms (DAMN IT TIGER!), showered and changed, and then quickly grabbed a bowl of cereal with Shinri before a certain lab scientist showed up to try and make breakfast for them.

And after this it all went to hell as he remembered what day it was. A knock on the door told him that Shinri would not be the only one taking him to floor 9 of Section F- And sure enough once they opened the door, there was Rina and Jino, looking like the result of some bizarre love affair between himself and Vermouth.

He shook his head quickly to get rid of that thought. Ugggg... The images.. Not only was this place making him soft, but it was decreasing the strength of his stomach..

In anycase, Koji found himself flanked by two very capable young assasins, and an even more capable one in the lead.

Should he give up on trying to gain the kindness of whoever was controlling his fate now? I didn't seem to be working, save for life and death situations, but that was likely due to the fact that there would be no opprotunity to embaress the heck out of him in hell. No, then it would just be well deserved pain that was really no fun to look at at all.

The first part of the 9th floor they hit.. Clothing. On the way there, Koji figured out rather quickly the reason why.

"So, Shinri-Chan," Rina asked with a rather sweet tone, "What does your yukata look like?"

Shinri looked as though christmas had come early- It seemed she'd been waiting for her to ask this question. "It's blue. That's all I'm saying though, it's a suprise.~ Why, did you get yours already?"

She grinned. "Yep! Jino and I got ours yesterday~ Mines red with phoenixes and flames on them, and his is grey with black tortises." Rina looked over at Jino with this, the boy going red as she said that.

"...It was either that or it'd be full of cats..." This was quickly answered with a swat at his head from Rina.

"Why you! It's called a Byakko, not a cat!"

"Says the one who calls the 'Suzaku' a phoenix!"

"Jino!!"

And the battle went on like this until finally Shinri changed the subject by asking Koji what he'd like on his yukata. Something he really should have seen coming but.. Well, he didn't really want to wear one..

But here they were. In a store completely devoted to Yukatas. He even saw a cat walk out wearing one. Damn 13th floor.. This was way to creepy. It didn't help that the cat looked an awful lot like the one he'd run into on his first visit to their gym.. It kept sniffing in his general direction.. Rather creepy really..

Within a few minutes of entering, he had multiple screams of recomended yukatas thrown at him. At first, Jino told him to get something black, since he was 'Mini Gin' before getting another slap on the head by Rina. Along with the remark that black was for funerals, what was Jino thinking? Then both Rina and Jino recomened one of the 4 Divine Beasts- Or rather, the remaining two, either the Byakko or the Seiryu. (The Genbu and Suzaku) As soon as they mentioned Seiryu however, Shinri mentioned that dragons didn't suit Koji (Giving him the feeling that the girl had dragons on her yukata..), and said that he should use the Byakko.

It wasn't until he agreed to at least have a white tiger somewhere on the yukata that they finally allowed him the peace of looking for his own. Much as he didn't want one.. He had a nagging suspicion that if he didn't get one, THEY would. He was not about to risk the horrors of Shinri and Rina's combinded decision on this.

Walking around the store, he had to say that they definitly had alot of yukatas.. Someone obviously had plenty of time on their hands. Now what colour.. It had to go with white anyways, given the fact that if he got a yukata without the Byakko on it they would likely find one themselves.. They were pretty damn determined, he had to give them that.

So far there weren't many with a white tiger on them though.. At least not in his size anyways. Granted there was a black one for some reason, but he wanted to avoid that for now- Framilliar as he was with the colour, the white on black didn't look that great on a yukata. He had his standards after all.

Soon however, he managed to narrow his choices down to two colours- An extremely pale green with a small white tabby 'cats' (They looked more like cats than tigers really) and whisps of air, and a pale blue one with the more traditional 'Byakko' on it, with a more forceful theme of wind.

Damn. He really liked green..

In the end he carried the blue one to the front- It was better than wearing his favorite colour with kittens really.. Not to mention the blue looked better with white when he thought about it. ...... Oh God. When had Vermouth's talk on clothes actually imprinted in his mind!?

He'd said it multiple times before.. But Section F was truely a scary place.

The map of Floor Nine (As detailed by someone named 'Usagi' from the 13th floor- Who, given their creativity was likely one of those long-tailed rabbits) showed that the entire place was divided up into sections. First was food, then clothing.. Followed by electronics and furnishings and such in the surrounding the center (The center being a food court), with what looked like a pet and toys section at the end. This section was relatively small in comparisson to ones like clothing however, and Koji assumed that this was due to the fact that though there WERE children in the section, most of them were too busy learning to use guns to play with lego. Or whatever it was that kids liked now..

It was either that or they were busy on their 'Wii System'. (In hindsight, that name was really not the best choice given the general maturity of kids at the moment.)

In anycase, with the addition of a reliable map, the other kids had now formulated an extremely simple (But clearly meant to annoy Koji) schedule for the rest of the day.

It was 11 at the moment. The side they were on would go through furniture before hitting the food court, so on the way to the center of the building for lunch they could look around for something more suited for Koji to sleep on.

After this, they would go grab some lunch, and take the food into the computers and graphics area for Jino to gawk at... And finally during the last part of the day go to the pet section of the later part for Shinri's sake. (She kept asking Tenshi for a fish, even a beta, but Tenshi still said no! Koji had a feeling he knew why..)

At the moment, they were walking through one of the few stores that stocked beds, and Koji was begining to realize just why Tenshi hadn't gotten him anything more than a futon at the moment. There really _weren't_ any bunkbeds. And the room that Shinri used was much to small or anything aside from that. There were trundle beds of course, but that would take up too much space depending on who woke up first.. Which was sure to be Shinri, who was almost CERTAIN to demand the higher bed.

In other words, it wouldn't work at all..

Defeated, Koji followed the others to the food court with a rather childish frown on his face. Damn... He really WAS cursed wasn't he! The frown was still there as Rina told them all what they were going to be eating- Along with the point that she was the only one with money (She'd paid for his yukata actually..), and therefore got to choose.

He supposed ramen wasn't that bad.. Though all the different smells were bugging his nose. (He never did get that thing completely back to normal.. But at least he couldn't smell a full week's worth of meals from one person. The stand was relatively small in comparisson to most of the places in the rather small food court, but that was really quite understandable..

Arriving at the ramen stand however, Jino almost instantly froze up. Koji knew why. He knew that smell _anywhere_. It was something that, though burned into his skull, was something that he'd successfully lost the need for due to 6 months of Section F.

It was a damn good thing that the Tiger was harder to get hooked on nicotine.

"Hey.. You all going to order something or what?" Tepache, in all his sunglassed glory, was wearing an apron and had his dreadlocks tied firmly back under a hairnet.

Jino just about chocked on his pocky before looking at the other three with pure fear. "We.. Arn't actually going to eat there right?"

Ignoring him, Rina walked over and asked for miso ramen.

"H-Hey!! I have enough pocky for everyone here!!"

Shinri also went over to order some ramen with naruto, dragging Koji along behind her. (That kid was too damn strong.. )

"Wait!!"

In the end, Koji brought him a bowl of pork ramen so that he wouldn't have to sit infront of Tepache too long.

As they walked away, the four could clearly hear Tepache muttering something to himself.

"...The kid racist or something?"

Ahaha.. Oh if only he knew.

---------------------------------------------------

Following Jino around in the electronics section of the ninth floor was in many ways similar to watching a dog play with it's chew toy.

One, you never knew which direction Jino would go next, even after he spent a few minutes turning his head in just about every direction (Including UP for some reason..) before running in the only one he _didn't_ look in.

"Wuooaaaa!!! Link's Crossbow Training!!"

Two, once he'd found something that really had him happy, he'd generally drop it to look at something else, find out that that something wasn't at all good, and go back only to find that the first object was gone.

"Waah!! Pokemon Platinum dissapeared!"

Though his taste in games was definitly something he didn't expect really.. Koji walked slowly while Jino ran in and out of stores lining the halls, occasionally attempting to drag Rina into one before getting slammed on the head with a DVD she'd bought from the first store. 'Golden Apple'... Ahahaha.. She was way to much like Vermouth really..

In the end, Rina caved and bought Jino the Wii system game he'd been looking at, thus shutting him up and allowing them to walk to the final section of the ninth floor in relative peace.

Who was he kidding, the brat was STILL at it.

"...And if you put the wiimote in a certain way, it's just like a sniper rifle an-"

"Jino..." Rina's eye was twitching.

"..And you can shoot moblins just like on normal missions, except you're shooting ARROWS not BULLETS of course, but these are like.. Arrows of DEATH so it's ok.."

Shiniri and Koji both slipped ahead as Rina went red in the face. "Jino....."

"And it's even multiplayer, so we could all play if something weird happens to the sniper room and.. and..." Looking over at Rina, it was all quite likely that he realized just what he should have done when he heard his name.

"JINO...."

"...... -meep-"

It was likely too late however, and you could hear one long and rather pitful scream as Rina dragged Jino back towards the elevator closest to their appartment.

If there was one thing that was most important when with Rina- It was to never, _never_ ignore her.

They would remember his annoying voice with slight pity. (Although on Shinri's side, it was likely kindness but.. Eh.) At least until next week..

After Rina was out of sight, there was a bit of an awkward silence before Shinri finally decided to say something.

"....Can we go now?" Oh right.. Her section was _last_. Of course it would be. And being last, he was stuck here the entire day wasn't he? At least.. He was until closing time.. Then again, it was saturday, so that would likely be around 10 for all he knew.

Staying at a pet store until 10 was not one of his ideas of fun.

But if he didn't... He could just hear Tenshi now.. Not something he wanted to hear..

".... Where do you want to go first.." He shouldn't have asked really- If he just took her to see some fish, she'd probably have forgotten all about every other pet store in the building. Koji was making to many mistakes lately..

Shinri seemed to pause a bit before answering Koji at first, frowning as she stopped walking. "Umm..." This pause lasted quite a bit, until a loud barking sound was heard through the halls. "Ah! Puppies!!" Running off towards the sound, Koji had no choice but to follow after her.

He found the girl literally knee deep.. in puppies. How many dogs.. Did this place have.. They were all jumping, and trying to lick (Looked more like trying to EAT) her face off, while about five of them decided the floor was a good place to relive themselves from the excitement.

Only recently had Koji found a newfound detest for dogs. They were just.. Stupid. Really. There was a difference between trained, loyal dogs and smart dogs. Yes, there were the few that were smart enough to figure out when their owner was in danger.. But aside from that they were just smelly, loud, things that were pretty much weapons that ate.

Though the smaller breeds were more alarms...

The next stop that Shinri made was with cats. Cat's were at least a bit better than dogs really.. For one thing, they didn't smell as bad, and also had the comon sense to realize when they lost. Dogs didn't do that, at least not until they broke something. The most a cat generally ran off with was a scratched ear. Not to mention, dogs saw in black and white. He just.. Couldn't accept anything that couldn't see in colour. Even with sunglasses on, you could make out distinct colour differences (Vodka proved this infact), but with dog vision.. No. You just couldn't.

After a stray kitten scratched Shinri they left.. Something about not wanting to cause more harm to the kitten than Shinri.. The next few stores were passed through rather quickly comparred to the others. Shinri saw ferrets (OH GOD THEY SMELLED. Why did his nose have to be so damn sensitive..), hamsters, guinea pigs.. Mice and rats as well, though they seemed smarter than the average breed. Koji quietly wondered if they were once part of the experimental subjects residing on the 13th floor..

Shinri skipped the birds however, saying that they were too loud- Something that relived Koji to no end, as though his ears were relatively normal, every high pitched scream emited made him want to strangle the thing that made it. And quickly, before another one was made, which would likely be within .2 seconds and.. Arrg!

This place definitly wasn't doing much for his nerves.. Though his tolerance level was much much better really. Why, he could probably handle a full mission with Vermouth now without feeling the urge to shoot her through the skull!

...

...

Maybe not a _full_ mission...

Oddly enough, the ninth floor had a rather incredible array of different fish for sale, and each were contained in large, water filled cubes, stored in dark hallways. Had Koji not known that APTX remants were green, and that fish did not swim in them, it would seem quite a bit like the same room where he and Shindou had died- Or at least Shindou and the alias of Gin anyways.. He was still pretty alive, he was sure of that. (It was either that, or hell was one VERY twisted place.)

The two walked silently through the halls, Shinri giving an occasional gasp as they saw some sort of rare shark, or a colour changing octopus in a tank. He kept his eyes focused directly infront of him- The halls WOULD end, he was SURE of it. At least having walking with Shinri in the aquatic area kept her quiet- Quite the reverse of Jino and gaming devices..

Still, by the end of the day Shinri was definitly happy about her 'trip' through floor nine. At least for the 15 minutes she lasted on the way back, after taking the elevator down to the 3rd floor where the apartment was. She really was tired it seemed...

And dammit, there was at least an hour more to walk. Watching as the girl sat down, he mentally groaned, shaking his head in one hand as he grumbled about bad luck. They would never.. NEVER make it back now. Not unless he carried her or something, but she was still-

"......." He shouldn't have even THOUGHT of those words. The moment he looked up, Shinri was no longer responsive at all. A few mumbles here and there but otherwise.. She was pretty much wasted for the rest of the night. "Aaaagg...." He would never live this down.. Even as Koji this was going to be one of those things that Tenshi would mention once or twice, that Jino would talk about constantly after hearing it from Tenshi.. Aaaaaaggggg...

But, it was either that or spend the night in the hall. Something he was equally as unwilling about. So... He walked over, slipped her arms over his shoulders, and hoisted her up piggyback style before walking off, a scowl on his face the entire time as he thought of ways to prevent Tenshi from mentioning this to anyone.

So far there were none.

Whoever was up there now, was clearly laughing at his expense as well.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: The Festival On The Roof, and Other Odd Holidays (AKA, Filler Chapter! Skip If You Don't Like Crazy!)**

When Koji finally returned to the apartment, he was definitely to tired to even blink at Tenshi's shocked (But clearly amused ) face. It took him two hours to get there, there was only one day before that stupid festival, and to top it all off it was midnight now. He wanted sleep. And fast.

The boy even forgot to shower he was so tired- Something that most definitely did not happen under normal circumstances. However, hitting the futon with a -fmmp-, he had quickly rolled over and gotten to sleep, mentally telling himself that he would simply have to shower in the morning as he always did.

Next morning he got his shower of course. Not without its snags however.. Lack of sleep meant slight lack of control, and it was very difficult to explain to Shinri exactly how he cut his cheek in the shower...

"So you slipped and fell on Tenshi-San's razor?"

"....." In reality, he scratched it with claws when washing his face, but really, both were equally as embarrassing None the less, he managed to throw on a bathrobe and make it to the table with cereal before Tenshi could start making pancakes. Or french toast. ...Hell, normal toast was deadly in her hands. She could've been an assassin, her ability to create poisonous food being this skilled. Thoughts on just what Tenshi could do with perfectly innocent looking slices of bread vanished however, once the woman walked in to hear that last bit of the conversation.

"....Hm? Did you cut yourself Koji-Kun? I could swear I put the razor in the cupboard.."

Koji wisely chose not to answer this time. Eating the rest of his cereal, he muttered something about getting dressed before putting his dishes in the sink and leaving. Wasn't this a _wonderful_ way to start the morning?..

-------------------

Standing on the roof of the impossibly large building of Section F, Koji couldn't help but feel that the majority of people around him were absolutely.. Pathetic. He had already been questioning the possible reason why they had a festival of all things on the highly secured roof-top of the building (A question that Tenshi had simply answered with 'To keep things more lively!'), but after noting that the actual head to the section was there?

This.. Was.. Absolutely insane. Worse than him being in the same location wearing a white and blue yukata. Shinri's voice cut him from his thoughts however, as she dragged him towards a game stand she'd seen. "Koji-kun!! Look look, they have charm carvings!" He looked around for someone to dump this on- Life debt or not, there was no way in hell he was staying this close to a festival game stand.

Just his luck that Jino and Rina had noticed the stands first and left him behind.. Koji inwardly groaned as Shinri fruitlessly tried to carve out a small turtle in the thin wooden slat handed to her. This was going to be a long day...

"Wuhaaaaaa... This is hard..." A very.. long day.. Koji sighed, walking over and taking a seat next to Shinri, watching the girl poke at the carving only to cause a large crack to appear in the wood. "Ahh!!! No!!" An eyebrow twitched visibly as Shinri quickly grabbed a bit of yen to buy another carving to work on. For the love of.. He was going to be stuck here all day at this rate!

Watching as yet another slat of wood was broken, the boy caved and grabbed Shinri's hand, taking the small, needle-like carving tool from her hand and taking one of the un-carved slats. "Here.. You need to be patient with things like this. Watch." Ignoring Shinri's complaints, Koji carefully twisted the tool around the shape, poking out the eyes and the hole for a string. "Once you have it, it isn't that difficult.." He looked up from his work (Oddly enough, a four leaf clover), only to scowl with annoyance. Shinri.. Had left him alone. "Dammit!!" Grabbing the charm and slamming some yen on the stand counter, he ran off after the girl. "Shinri!"

The girl in question looked up from where she was now fishing for turtles, before grinning at her 'friend'. "Heh? Ah!! Koji-Kun!!~" She waved happily, ignoring the obvious look of infuriation on Koji's face. "I was getting bored, so I came over here!~ Look! I already got one!!" At those words, Koji watched as Shinri held up a small goldfish bowl with a turtle in it. "I'm naming it Kero!"

"Kero?" Wasn't that the sound a frog made? Apparently not, as the turtle then made a loud croaking noise similar to a frog's as he said this. Laughing nervously, Koji walked over, scratching his head as he spoke. "Right... In any case, are we done here ye-" He scowled again, as Shinri disappeared from his view once more. Argggggg.... Deciding not to bother with it anymore, Koji began wandering around instead, soon finding himself at the railing of the building.

It was a rather remarkable view really. Leaning his arms on the lower bar as he took a seat, he could just barely make out a shadow on the horizon. Whether this was due to the sheer height of the building or just the distance from that shadow, Koji didn't know. But it seemed the one beside him did.

"Pretty small lookin' eh?" Koji jerked his head up to look at Jino, who was resting his arms on the taller bar for the railing while staring out in the direction that Koji once had. "That there's the main island of Japan. Pretty damn far away eh?" Koji blinked with slight surprise.

"That far huh..." Damn.. He was supposed to make it over there eventually? Shit, what did Tenshi think he was anyways!? He'd drown! "Hnn..." Staring off into the distance, the boy half-closed his eyes with thought, wondering just how he would do this in the end.

Koji's train of thought was brought to an end rather quickly however, when Jino pulled him up and turned to walk away. "Ahh.. Shin-Chan is off with Rina at the ring-toss ok? They wanted me to get you." With that he walked off, Koji scowling at the retreating doppleganger before leaving to find Shinri.

------------------------------------

The festival went far quicker than Koji had expected to be honest. After watching Rina throw a hoop on the red bottle with remarkable ease ('Mou Rina-chan! You make this look too easy!!'), Shinri ran off with her new soccer ball to a stand selling fans, using some of the money Tenshi had given her to buy one for Koji.. Who adamantly refused to take it, and thus was seen carrying it around for the rest of the day.

They'd run into Jino and Rina again later passing the Takoyaki stand, which they all hung around for before separating again, by which point Shinri was starting to get tired. Heading back, Koji turned his head to briefly watch the sky go from blue to a mix of oranges and violets before following the others back down. The day.. Didn't go all that bad really.

Two days later however, one could definitely wonder why Koji was holding a pillow over his ears as a loud 'kerooooo' was heard. He'd. Tried. Everything. Ever since the turtle's owner left for her mission in Osaka, it had been making noises that were most certainly not supposed to be made by a turtle. Kero, as he was accurately named, seemed to still be making frog noises. And they were very loud ones.

In the end, Koji had finally managed to stick an elastic around the turtle's mouth while silently thanking the seafood store on the ninth floor for giving him the leftover ones from their lobster claws. Silence had never been more beautiful. "Hwaaaah.... Thank god..." The pillow still sat on his head, and the boy lay back on the couch to take advantage of the silence.

-bzzztt.-

No. God dammit, no..

-bzzt. Bzzzzzzzzzzt-

"Arrrrrrgghhh...." Throwing the pillow across the room, Koji got up and opened the door to see Shinri and a rather pleased Tenshi at the door. '_God dammit.. They weren't supposed to finish for another week..' _Resisting the urge to state his thoughts quite clearly (Cries of 'Koji-Kun!!! Tadaimah!!!' came from Shinri, and he winced), he opted to simply ask why they'd come early.

Tenshi's answer made him wonder how many people he'd killed that wanted him to suffer before dieing. "Oh.. Well, we didn't want to miss Sports Day- Shinri's old enough to compete this year." No. No no no no.. "Although, she has to enter with another person, so do you think you could enter with her?"

Damn it damn it- "Sure" Arrrrghh!!! Why did he say yes god dammit! As Shinri began yelling rather loudly about getting her clothes ready for the next day, Koji inwardly groaned and leaned against the wall before something in the girl's high pitched voice registered in his head.

"Wait, this is tomorrow??"

------------------------------

"Allllright everyone, here we are at the annual, Section F Sports Event!~ I'm your host, Saki Jino,"

Who the hell decided to let that kid be a host instead of a competitor? Koji sat on the bench with the other children his 'age', wearing shorts and a t-shirt as he waited for his number. Listening to the list of events, he winced as another voice cut in.

"Oi oi! Jino! Get to the point already!" Awww frick.. "Oh! And I'm also hosting the sports day event!~ Vineland Rina, at your service!~" Vineland? Sounded oddly like 'Vineyard'.. Wasn't that Vermouth's- "Alright! Today we have five events, and lunch splitting them up! The sports fest has been cut short due to lack of entrants.." She glared at Jino, who paled visibly. "But we still have today! For the morning we have the 'Three-Legged Race', and the 'Egg and Spoon' race!~" AH! He was being set up! (Damn.. This explained why Shinri needed another person..) Plus.. Eggs.. His stomach growled slightly, and Koji narrowed his eyes. Goddamn it.. He couldn't get breakfast before Tenshi made it.. So he didn't eat anything..

"After the egg race there will be a short lunch break, followed by the relay race, the obstacle course, and last of all.. Hurdles!"

"YES!" Koji jerked his head to Tepache, blinking as the african-american man punched the air and began rambling in English about racing. "My best sport!" Something in the back of his mind told him that someone who smoked as heavily as Tepache should not be good at hurdles.. But he could always find out later..

It was Rina's voice that shook him out of these thoughts however, and Koji blinked as he was handed his number before paying attention. "Alright everyone, I want you to get your partners and line up!~ The three legged race is about to begin!" Feeling a tug at his arm, Koji sighed and walked over to the starting line with Shinri, before letting her tie one of his legs to hers. Looking up, the two waited until Jino's voice came over from the sidelines.

"Alllright! Racers! Your route is marked using the arrows on the walls! Just follow them to the finish line!!" His voice was quickly switched out with Rina, who snatched the megaphone from him.

"Everyone, Take your places!" A majority of the racers awkwardly kneeled down, in a start position, while Shinri and Koji simply braced themselves. "On your marks! Get set.." Eyes ahead, Koji squinted before making out an arrow pointing left up ahead.

"First one is left, alright?" A nod from Shinri, and-

"GO!" A series of hopping and falling ensued after this, Shinri and Koji barely walking to prevent falling flat on their faces. They were third out of the five teams to reach the arrow first.. By the third arrow they were fourth.. Last arrow in last..

Needless to say, Shinri was a bit upset that she lost, and was ready to get back at Koji during the egg and spoon race, where she was disqualified for throwing her egg at him. (It was a rather nice throw, considering that she used nothing but her mouth and the spoon however.) Koji, unfortunatly, was also disqualified a few minutes later, when his own egg smashed on the ground. It was oddly difficult to not eat it..

Still, seeing as how it was now lunch, he could definitly resist that. (Besides. Eating eggs of the ground.. Was not healthy. Especially not here.) Wiping off the egg from the last race and sending a glare over at the already eating Shinri, Koji took a seat with the bento that had been provided for the sports day. It wasn't too bad.. Swallowing some of the rice, he watched as Rina and Jino both began setting up the next event, relay. The obstacle course would be in the usual location.. While the hurdles would simply be the final part of said course.

He didn't think he'd do too well with hurdles..

A voice came over from the table Jino and Rina were sitting at, and Koji quickly swallowed the rest of his lunch. Three more races.. That was it. And the first one was..

"Alright everyone! It's time for the relay~" Rina's voice was inturupted by Jino, as he snatched the megaphone in a form of payback for the last time.

"Or as I like to call it, shuttle run! Competitors will run to the middle point of the track, grab a ball, run back, and drop it before heading back again! There are enough for three each, so don't worry!!" The megaphone was quickly taken back by Rina again, the girl glaring at Jino. This was starting to get annoying, the constant switching really..

"Anyone spotted with more than one ball at once will be disqualified! Now, will the competitors please line up!" Koji grunted, stretching his arms before doing so. Hwaaahh... Faster he got this done the faster he could sleep... "On your mark..." Shinri stood beside him, determined to beat him this time. "Get set.." Biting his lip, he breifly wondered if sitting out to just read or something would be such a bad idea. (He was still tired thanks to that damned turtle!) "GO!"

Deciding that it was a bad idea as soon as Jino said 'go' however, Koji took off at top speed, heading off towards the pile of balls at the end of the hallway. Mind as well go through with it! So far he was tied with Shinri... Grabbing one of the balls he swiftly kicked back from the ground to turn, eyes frozen on the finish line. If he paid attention to the line, then he could probably ignore the looks he was getting from the girl.. (Though really, when he thought about it, it was not often that he bothered doing stuff like this without too much prompting from Tenshi..)

First ball dropped off. Koji caught a glimpse of Shinri, the girl's face twisted into a mix of pain and determination, but he ignored it and pressed on. He grabbed the second ball, twisting around and running back just as Shinri reached the pile herself. Second ball dropped off.. Third ball picked up.. He was almost there and-

"Wuaaah!! Chibi-Gi-" The megaphone was quickly wrenched from Jino's hands.

"We have a winner! First place goes to Koji! Second goes to Shinri!.." The ranking continued, Koji collapsing by the wall as Shinri took a seat beside him, breathing heavilly as she turned towards him.

"Next time.. I'm gonna.. Win... Ok, Koji-Kun?.." Looking at the tired girl, Koji simply chuckled in a way oddly similar to his laughter when he was on _her_ trail.

"Heh... You're on.."

---------------------------------------

The last two races went as follows. Koji, being completely worn out from the first race, came in last for the obstacle course, with Shinri frowning and calling him 'lazy'. Shinri herself in the meantime, ignoring the boy's glare, had come in first place.

More suprising however.. Was the final hurdles race. When the race began, Tepache simply handed his cigarette to one of the people watching, before taking off with the rest. Though Koji was certain he was ahead of everyone at first, he looked ahead to see him practically flying over them!

"W-What!?! How!!?" Of course, when Tepache came in first (And got his cigarette back), Jino chose to award the second place people rather than first, Rina smacking him across the head for being a jerk.

But at least, Koji thought as he collapsed back on the futon in Tenshi's apartment, it was finally over. Thank... God..... "Eugh....." He'd almost forgotten to grab something to eat before Tenshi cooked supper he was so out of it... But at least everything was over for now. Rolling over onto his back, he stared at the ceiling as he recounted the days events. For a section of the black organization, they did a hell of a lot of 'non-organizational' activities. But none of these had started until the summer!! (Maybe it was just because of the fact that it _was_ summer. ) Bah..

Where was an events calendar when he needed it.. He wanted a fair warning for whatever holiday he'd be forced into next..

The next morning Koji woke up much later than he preferred- It was already eleven by the time he was out of the showever and dressed. On the brightside however, he was able to grab something to eat before Tenshi came in from the hallway holding a file. Seemed that Shinri only got that one day off her last assignment; She had to leave again with Jino earlier that morning.

Shinri would likely be gone for one more week, before Halloween came up. It was at these words, that Koji almost chocked on his cereal.

"K- Halloween??" Wiping his mouth of the milk that had come flying out with the cough, he watched as Tenshi simply nodded with a smile and poured herself some cereal.

"That's right- Since a majority of Section F is a mix of Japanese and American peoples, we tend to have the children celebrate Halloween." She took a spoon of her cereal, before continuing. "If it's not to much to ask Koji, I was wondering if-"

"NO." Tenshi gained an upset look, while Koji frowned and continued eating.

"But.. Koji, why-"

Swallowing his food, Koji looked up, the frown still in place. "I am not going to wander around the building in an embarrassing costume asking for candy. I don't know if you noticed, but I still have limits, _Tomoyo_."

The woman across from him sighed, before trying again. "Shinri was really looking forward to-"

"I SAID NO." Well, clearly Koji was adamant about this. ...Tenshi would have to wait until Shinri returned it seemed.

In the meantime, hopefully that tiger costume would fit- Wait!

"It would be a good opprotunity to practice using your other half..." Tenshi slowly spun the milk and bits of cereal around, waiting for Koji to take the bait.

"......" Koji in the meantime, simply glared. This implied that, not only was there already a costume for him around here somewhere, but that it was a tiger costume. The boy's eyes narrowed, Koji slowly chewing the last bits of his cereal before swallowing. He could practice elsewhere.. With less embarrassing things.. But the fact was, he couldn't very well practice going 'half way' otherwise... "Fine...." Fiiiiiine! AUURG. Watching Tenshi grin as she grabbed the dishes and began rambling on and on about how happy she was that he agreed, he took that moment to go leave for the thirteenth floor. Damn.. Blackmailing...

Of course, one week later when Shinri returned, she was more than happy at the knowledge that Koji would be going with her for halloween- For some reason, she was afraid that he was going to refuse! Oh if only she knew.. Unfortunatly, she also insisted on seeing what costume he had. Koji was.. More than thankful when Tenshi came in at that moment and told Shinri that it would be a suprise. Almost.

So here he was, in the bedroom, staring at the costume with a rather large grimace. "Uggh..." One week until halloween, and he gets to spend it practicing the whole 'tiger' deal. With a kid's costume on. Picking it up with two fingers, Koji held it up and examined it before mentally groaning yet again. Good god.. Why did he agree to this again?

The costume looked like a regular costume really- But it lacked a tail and ear headband. Which meant, of course, he got to replace them.

He had just been conned into running around as a cat-boy. Dropping the costume, he groaned yet again and lay on his back, wishing that he could turn back time. This really stank.. Was he really not in hell?...

But he still needed to practice really. Sighing, the boy picked up the costume and went to try it on. One week... Just one week, and he'd get to collapse until christmas..

--------------------------

"Koji-Kun~~~" Koji winced visibly as Shinri's voice cut through his ears. Cats.. Cats really could hear 10 times better, this fucking hurt! "Koji-Kun~~ Your costume is so cute!!!" Koji resisted the urge to tell her to 'shut the fuck up', simply nodding mutely while his eyebrow twitched.

"Remind me again why we're starting at 8 in the morning Shinri..? And why does the hallway look like this.." The entire floor it seemed, looked as though it was remodeled by Satan- The few windows that were there were blacked out, while the lights had been replaced with a dim red, causing the building to appear as though it was being viewed through a bloody curtain.

Skeletons, gothic wire fences, and cobwebs decorated the halls, multiple jack-o-lanterns sitting outside of the doors to people's apartments. Koji had been so busy taking it all in however, that he had barely realized that there was someone else behind him.

"Koji-kun.. You already know just how large the building is.. It will take at least a full day to visit all of the apartments on this floor!"

"Gah!" Turning abruptly, Koji looked up to see Tenshi dressed up in an angel costume. "Ah... Tenshi-basan..." Damn, calling this woman his aunt while in Shinri's presence was a tad annoying.. "...Nice costume..."

Shinri also turned at this, her dragon-horn headband shifting slightly as she looked up and frowned. "Neh.. Kaa-san! You wore that last year!!!" Proceeding to pout and tell her 'mother' off for being cheap, she pointed towards the now arriving Jino and Rina, who had dressed up as a pair of game characters from 'Kingdom Hearts'. "At least they got something new!"

Koji meanwhile blinked at the words 'kaa-san'- Shinri had never actually called Tenshi 'mother' before really, and it seemed Tenshi agreed with this fact as she herself had not yet answered the girl. She didn't have to however, as Jino had gotten close enough to speak by that point.

"Wh-why do I have to be mickey..." That was a suprise. Half-lidded stares from both Koji and Shinri came to look at a rather upset looking Jino, as well as an extremely smug looking Rina. Jino in question was wearing extremely large mouse ears, a long tail, and the largest shoes he'd ever seen. Ever. The answer to Jino's question was quickly given however, and Koji found himself mentally laughing with the half-lidded stare still on his face.

"Because you lost the bet, that's why. Besides, Mickey suits you." Ahahaa... It figured it'd be something like that... Rina's outfit was definitly better at least, considering that she had likely chosen the costumes for both of them. She was wearing a simple, short white dress, and had straightened her hair. Of course.. Having not played any video games since.. Quite a while ago, he had no idea who she was...

"And Namine is better for you? You should have been Daisy or something.." Jino's comment resulted in a large smack to the head using the large sketchpad Rina was carrying, Shinri sighing before tugging on the girl's arm.

"Ano...." She made a hard-to-resist pleading face, Jino rubbing his head and getting caught by it. "Ano.. Shouldn't we head out already..?" While Koji simply frowned slightly, both Jino and Rina's hearts seemed to _melt_ at the sight of it.

Or so it seemed. They were quickly brought out of this when Tenshi mentioned 'candy', and the three took off, Shinri gripping Koji's arm and tugging him along.

"O-Oi!!! I can walk by myself!" He quickly tugged his hand free, ignoring Shinri's grin before walking with the others to the first house. Oversized pillow case gripped tightly, he followed them up to the door before holding it open as the other three yelled an incredibly loud 'Trick or treat', taking his candy before following behind them once more. "Tch.. Are we seriously going to visit all the apartments on this floor?" It explained the pillow case, that was for sure..

"Of course!!" Shinri's response was accompanied by multiple nods from the other two, while Koji inwardly groaned. Couldn't he just read, or train or something... They walked up to yet another apartment, knocking on the door and getting candy before moving on yet again. The decorations so far were definitly.. Interesting.

They got to Jino's apartment rather quickly, and to the doppleganger's horror the door was answered by Tepache- It seemed that Tepache's original plans of celebrating halloween with his girlfriend were regrettably cancelled.

As soon as they left the doorway of the fog-filled room, a vampire Tepache gave them a grin and waved good-bye before shutting the door. Jino, in the meantime, was twitching rather oddly, and had dumped the candy Tepache gave him as soon as the door had shut.

While the four continued on their way, Koji scratched his ear as he went over how many more apartments there were- There were 110 on each floor that had them (About 3), some with famillies, some with one person, and others built like Tepache and Jino's. They had only gone through 10 of them now, due to the sheer complexity of the halls and spacing between apartments. And since Tenshi's was basically the 'end point' of the oddly built circle they would be taking, (He paused for a moment, opening the bag yet again before silently following behind the others) they would have gone through the easiest area of the floor so far.

Just his luck dammit.. That pillow case was going to weigh a ton.. And he didn't even want to eat it! And still, Tenshi insisted he collect the candy if not for him, then at least for her. Selfish little..

Approaching the next house, something seemed off for some reason. Frowning, Koji noted that the other three felt the same way, and all of them stared at the large mummy leaning next to the door with suspicion. Eventually, Jino got the courage to knock on the door, only to be the victim of something they had all foreseen.

"GRAAAH!!"

"EEEK!!"

"A-AHH! ASTI-NEECHAN!"

"........" It seemed that only Rina and Koji were unsurprised when Asti, who was completely wrapped in bandages, suddenly lept up from her leaning position to scare the shit out of Jino and Shinri. Taking the candies as they were awkwardly dumped into the bags by a nervously apologizing Asti, the four headed off for the next apartment once more, Jino and Shinri both looking around at the upcoming doors rather nervously.

Things calmed down rather quickly after this of course- They were now at 50 plus apartments. However, coming up to apartment number 67 (Almost there, almost there..), the four were in for a rather upsetting surprise.

As soon as the door opened, Koji smelled fresh eggs. And soon, as the three in front yelled 'Trick or Treat!' He knew why.

"TRICK!!"

-_CRUNCH-_

Eggs. Eggs everywhere.. A collective groan was heard as Koji's tail and ears both twitched simultaneously to rid himself of the gooey, smelly mass of egg white and yoke now covering him. "Ugh..." This was.. Disgusting... It took all of his willpower to not strangle Jino when he cheerily said that the candy wasn't ruined in any case. Thankfully, Rina did not have Koji's willpower, and proceeded to chase after him using her bag of candy as a bludgeon.

At least apartment number 81's trick involved hosing them down with water guns. Less eggs, the better.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Bearing Christmas and Exhaustion**

The haul of candy brought back from halloween was definitly jawdropping. It also took quite a while to accumulate. As Koji and Shinri lugged the nearly bursting sacks into the doorway (If it hadn't been for the fact that they had been eating bits of it throughout the day, they likely would have), Tenshi instantly took said bags and put them up on the shelf, stating that too much sugar was not good for her little girl. Or Koji, as she added when she spotted him moving his hand towards his candy apple before snatching it away from him.

Damn Tenshi.. That was probably the healthiest thing there...

In anycase, thankfully by the time december came around, a majority of the candy had been eaten. Most of it due to Tenshi's sneaking off with handfulls to work, something that Shinri had been rather quick to point out, but also due to Shinri's own night-time attempts to regain what she had lugged around the building weeks before. Many of which, were sadly successful.

About a week before christmas Shinri had her second last mission- It was during this time that Koji found himself stuck with the duty of getting the girl's christmas presents, while carefully avoiding Jino and Rina.

Pressing himself against the wall with the pile of presents, Koji found that this was surprisingly difficult. It took an oddly long time infact, before Jino and Rina left that particular part of the hallway. But at least he had all the things on the list- Getting back to the apartment, he somehow managed to find away to leave all the presents there for Tenshi to wrap rather than he himself getting stuck with the task. Not only would it waste even _more_ of his time trying to plot out ways to avoid certain events.. But it seemed that colourful paper amused the tiger half.

It took him even longer, however, to actually make his way to the thirteenth floor. He had thought that the section got carried away during halloween, but this was nothing; So far he had almost been suffocated by a giant inflatable Santa (Now full of large punctures thanks to his claws- Air couldn't be regenerated, and suffocation wasn't fun!), an oversized christmas tree, and finally an avalanche of fake snow. And then he'd been hit by a shipment of _mistletoe_ of all things. That took a while to escape...

Reaching the thirteenth floor, Koji swore there was still snow melting in.. Awkward places.

---------------------------------

Ahhh Christmas. The dreaded holiday that caused events that Koji almost shot himself for. Granted, it wouldn't have killed him if he had.. But it would have hurt like hell and likely diverted his attention. Almost the entirty of Section F gathered in the large half-floor sized cafeteria that day for the celebration, full of mistletoe, eggnog... Loud.. Noises.. Not to mention the confusion when Shinri gave him a stuffed tiger. (He was cursed with that damn thing for life wasn't he?) Though it was rather strange in Shinri's case too now that he thought of it- Wasn't she going to die in about 3 weeks according to them?

So.. Christmas definitly wasn't his favorite of holidays, especially after having to carry Shinri back once she'd fallen asleep from the overdose of eggnog. Though it was rather fun to see a (somehow) drunk Jino drag Rina under the mistletoe.. Only to get clocked in the face. But the day had passed! And now, it was December the 31st..

Looking out the window as a few flakes of snow fell, Koji stared off while Shinri rambled on about the tiny New Years celebration going on behind him. Tenshi had rather quickly shoved them out of the room that morning, and told them to stay at Jino and Tepache's apartment until it was near enough to midnight. And oh god... It smelled... Like hell...

What the heck got him into smoking before!? The smoke was burning his lungs and nose... (And healing over... And repeating the process..) Deciding to push this thought aside, Koji glanced at the clock and sighed out the open window with relief. 11:00. Time to go.

"Oi... Shinri.." He got up and closed the window he'd opened earlier, wincing and wrinkling his nose as the stentch of smoke hit him more clearly. "We have to leave, it'll take at least half an hour to get back.." Watching as the girl turned to protest, he quickly added something else. "And.. Think of the things Tenshi probably set up! Ahaa... There's probably lots of treats and..."

"Eh!! Ok ok!! I'm going Koji-Kun!!" She quickly grabbed her things, rushing out the door with a hurried 'Bye Jino-Kun! Tepache-San!!', Koji following behind shortly after.

"Sheesh... You run fast when you're motivated.." Shinri had slowed to a walk by this point, Koji easilly walking next to her now. It would probably take 45 minutes at this rate.. Longer in his head thanks to the lack of distractions. Stupid tiger.. Turning to Shinri, he inwardly smirked as he decided to say something to get a bit of conversation going. "You know that whatever is there will likely have been handmade right?" Hehee.. He mind as well have a bit of fun in anycase. Immature or not, it was still a way to get rid of the boredom.

Shinri's reaction was as expected. An instant look of disgust and shock. "E-Eh!! No way! She wouldn't do that, it's new years... Urgggg...." She grabbed her head, making an odd face as she rambled on about 'unfair' and 'how mean okaasan...' until they both reached the apartment. "I'll have to make sure.." Shinri gulped and opened the door as Koji simply stared at her, before walking in and simply standing there. "...Okaasan?"

Looking over Shinri's shoulder, Koji caught a glimpse of Tenshi, the woman waving him into the scarcely lit room. Walking in and shutting the door, he scanned the room out of a habit and quickly realized something was going on. There were bags by the laundry chute, which led to the room on the mainfloor.. All the doors were open, and from what he could see around the couch in the living room, there was some sort of _lump_ in the futon he'd been using since he became 'Koji'. But what was really bugging him was the scent of..

"Whoops!" Tenshi tripped over the edge of the rug on the floor, copious amounts of alcohol spilling from the bottle in her hands and onto the floor. "Ahahaa.. So clumsy.. So, Shinri.. Koji.. Are you two ready to leave?"

Shinri was first to speak after that interesting fact was risen up, Koji still busy trying to piece together Tenshi's odd actions. "Heh!! We're leaving now?" Blocking out Shinri and Tenshi's conversation centering around this, Koji frowned. Everything seemed to be set up for an accidental fire, but why did something seem off.. Tenshi reeked of alcohol, and not just from dousing the apartment with it.. The bags by the chute didn't seem nearly large enough to be holding supplies for all three of th- The chute was only large enough for a child to fall through.

Numbly responding as Shinri tugged him over to her room to grab the black clothes Tenshi had for them, he prayed that Shinri didn't notice anything just yet. 'Tomoyo,' he mouthed, turning his head to Tenshi while the woman simply smiled. The look on his face said clearly 'What do you think you're doing??', but she seemed to ignore it. Clothes were soon handed to him, and after Shinri locked herself in her room, Koji looked over at Tenshi with a look of clear distaste.

"Tomoyo... What are you-"

"I didn't know you were referring to me by my last name now, Koji." She seemed to be throwing off any attempts at conversation.. "Go get your things on- I don't want Shinri to be late because you took to long." With that, the woman shoved him in the bathroom.

"Taku..." This was bad.. Forget 'mother bear', this was insane.. While he could see her idea in saving Shinri at the cost of her life, this was just.. He sighed, throwing on the black jeans and sweater before walking out to see Shinri cheerfully getting her bag strapped on with Kero sitting in her sweater pocket. Taking a quick glance at the clock, Koji saw that it now read '11:58'. So that was her plan..

"We're gonna see Tokyo again.. And all sorts of other places~" Shinri lifted the hatch covering the chute, looking down into the blackness before blinking. "Huh?" Uh oh... Walking over to stand by her, Koji grabbed his own bag, nervously looking at Tenshi as Shinri looked over. "Okaa-san.. Something's not right, what.." 11:58:30..

"What do you mean? Everything is ready." Koji had long since recognised the smell accompanying the alcohol by now- Kerosene. Eyes steered themselves to the clock as the seconds ticked away, Tenshi continuing on calmly as she reached for a small box beside her. "I put all your favorite books in there, Shinri.. I've even got your soccer ball.. And Koji is there too.."

"Demo.. Okaa-san.."

"Shi-Shinri.. Maybe we should just.." One minute left, Koji noticed, and he carefully made sure the opening was large enough for what it looked like he would have to do. The entrance was small, but the 'tube' itself looked like it would be large enough... _-slip- _There went his bag..

"Okaa-san... You can't fit in-" Shinri's soft words were cut off as Tenshi pulled her close into a tight embrace, Koji looking at the clock and back at them. 30 seconds.

"I know." Those were likely tears streaming down her face now, Koji decided, before watching as the woman pulled back and held up the small box to pull out a match. "But please, live on."

_-BOOM- _The clock struck midnight and the match fell, flames surrounding Shinri and Koji instantly. Tenshi's shadow, barely visible seemed to smile as Shinri's screams pierced the air, only to be blotted out by the noise of fireworks and cheers of 'Happy New Year!' from nearby apartments.

"Kaasan!! Okaasan!! Mpph!" Koji's hands quickly covered Shinri's mouth, the boy semi-dragging her over to the laundry chute.

"Shhh!!" He pulled off her bag with his free arm, slipping the cover up and pushing it in before speaking. "Shh! It's too late! You can't help her Shinri! We need to leave!"

"Mpphhh! Mppnnngg...!!" Koji's fingers were wet with Shinri's tears as the girl struggled against her friend's grip, arms uselessly reaching over at the slowly approaching flames where the crumpled and burning heap that was Tenshi lay. "Mnnnhhh..."

He pulled her up, slipping her into the shaft and holding her there for a few seconds. "Don't scream, understand? You can't scream, no matter what, or she will have died for nothing!" Shinri couldn't very well move, but her eyes seemed to convey the message of 'understood'. Nodding, Koji took the hand off her mouth, moving it down to hold her by her arms, slipping her down slowly until it was her hands. "Alright.. I'm going to climb in, and I want you to push yourself against the wall, got it? We only have one chance." No time to screw around here.. The fire was barely half a foot away by this point. Shinri simply nodded, and Koji began moving.

Quickly and carefully, Koji got himself into the chute, Shinri pressing herself against the sides with her feet and back. His head against the opposite wall, Koji dimly heard cries of 'fire! Emergency!' as alarms filled the building and his eyes widened. "We need to move.. Crap." It was difficult what they were doing.. But it was needed. Swiftly, Koji manuvered his feet to the wall adjacent to the one his head was on, his back soon facing the other as he switched the position of one of his arms to continue holding Shinri. "Shinri... I need you to move up as far as you can, until you are above me, understand?" His voice was barely a whisper, but Shinri heard him. Watching as she tugged herself up his arms and over him, he smirked. "Alright... Now remember, don't scream, alright?" Another nod. "Good. I'm letting go." Before she could even protest, he released his grip on the wall, Shinri falling down ontop of him as she struggled to hold in a screech of suprise. Above them, Koji could hear their door being broken down.. That was close..

-CRUNCH- "Hi..Hitai.." Even on a pile of clothing that hurt like hell.. Koji looked up, Shinri moving up already to grab her bag. Ah.. She must have gone into shock.. Grabbing his own bag, he looked around, scanning the room for the door to the hall. If he was right, then that hall door would be about 10 feet from the emergency exit, which would no longer alarm anyone due to the fire... A small voice in the back of his head reminded him of the ocean, but he ignored it. How well was this all planned, he wondered..? "Shinri, are you alright?"

There was a small 'sniff' sound before the response came. "I'm fine.. Lets go, Koji-Kun.." Walking to the door with a nod, Koji turned the knob and held it open, scanning the hall before giving Shinri the 'go ahead'. Walking past, she turned towards the exit soon to be followed by her friend. And then they heard a voice.

"Mah mah... I must have had too much to drink.." Koji froze, turning with Shinri to look at Jino. What was he doing.. "It seems I'm seeing ghosts." He winked, placing a pocky stick in his mouth before turning around to walk away. "That fire upstairs is harsh after all- Not like anyone could escape that!" Turning his head back slightly, he then whispered something that Koji barely heard- "You better take good care of Shin-Chan, ok Mini-Gin?" And then he walked away, leaving his two friends to push the door with a giddy nervousness and run out through the wooded area that was the scarcely traveled grounds of Section F.

"Th-That was close, Koji-Kun.."

"Ah.."

Stopping for a moment, the two leaned against a tree, Koji looking out at the ocean before them. Geeze.. How was he supposed to make it all the way there? Had to be at least 40 kilometers.. Though it certainly looked a hell of a lot closer than up from the top of the building. Shinri followed his gaze, blinking before turning back to him. "Ano.. Did you not know about this Koji-Ku-"

"I knew.." He sighed, looking up at the sky before taking a deep breath. This could take a while. Hands in his pockets however, Koji frowned, before pulling out two or three energy 'gel' packs. Ahahaaa.. How smart of her.. He inwardly winced. She was dead now, don't think of her. Ripping the tops off them, he downed them quickly, ignoring Shinri's confused look before looking back at her. "Ah.. I'll be right back, close your eyes for a second."

She shrugged, before turning around and closing her eyes. "Alright... I don't know what this is for though..." Koji ignored her, walking back into the bushes until he was sure Shinri wouldn't see him. Good.. This was.. This was not good, how the hell was he going to explain this!

Stripping down, he simply took a deep breath and focused. Fur.. Claws.. Strong legs.. Strong legs that would hopefully last 40 kilometers.. Opening his eyes (Had he shut them?), he stretched out, before grabbing the bag he'd stuffed his clothes in and walking back just in time for Shinri to lose her patience.

"Ok, so you should be done by... Now..." Shinri stared, watching as the tiger infront of her dropped the bag and crouched down, looking directly at her. "T-Tiger... How.."

"It's Koji...."

Shinri's face paled, her eyes widening as she continued stuttering. "Wh-Whaaaa..." And then.. "Cool!!! Cool!! How did you do that, how-" Koji cut her off, growling slightly before the girl coughed nervously. "Aha.. Sorry Koji-Kun!"

"Just get on..." At least this was keeping her mind off the fire.. Watching Shinri grab both bags and climb up, he slowly stood before looking at the ocean and the disance between them and said body of water. "..And hold on tight!" Running at the cliff's edge, Koji leaped off, Shinri yelling as he did so and landed with a large splash in the water. Resurfacing, he began paddling forward, his 'passenger' shaking the water from her head and leaning into his fur as she shivered. "You ok?"

There was little more than a muffled 'yes', and Koji sighed with relief, the sound coming out almost similar to a purr. Then there was a giggling noise. "Heheee.."

".....What?" He was unable to turn his head from the destination, but something told him he wouldn't like Shinri's face right now.

"Hehee.. It's just like a Byaako! Also..." Oh sweet lord strike him down now.. "You _purred_."

A sharp growl came forward, Koji speeding up slighty. "I.. I did not!"

"Yes you did!~"

"I did _not _purr!"

"What ever you say, Koji-Kun!~"

"I didn't!" Grr!!!! ….Damn it, he was arguing like a kid...

"Heheee!"

"S-Shut up..." He was never going to hear the end of this..

"Ok~"

Thank god.. Maybe now he could focus on the remaining 9.3km...

"Byaako-Koji~"

Urggggg....

-----------------------------

It was getting close to dawn. Shinri had long since fallen asleep, the stress and time finally catching up to her. They must have been going for about 5 hours really.. But shore was in sight, as were the docks of the warehouses located on shore.

He swam slowly underneath them collapsing on the wave breakers after pulling himself far enough away from the highest tide level. So tired... Laying down, Shinri slipped off slightly, he himself reacting quickly enough to slow down her fall and lay her down with the bags she had. Stareing off at the distance he'd finished swimming, tired eyes slowly closed, as his head lowered into his paws.

Just a few winks... Nothing more....

In his slumber, he didn't notice the third person watching them from a distance...


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Kira**

As soon as he woke up, he realized that something was off. At first, not opening his eyes, he had one of those pathetically stupid and naive beliefs that what had passed was a dream. After all... Tigers couldn't wear clothes could they? Yet, after telling himself, 'No, it was sure as hell not a dream', he found himself wondering who it was that pulled him into a rather warm futon, and whether or not he ought to rip whoever did this to shreds. Opening his eyes, Koji frowned. While the futon was warm, it was definitely old. The fabric was worn and faded from to much washing and sun drying, with frayed threads hanging off the blanket and multiple lines of poor stitching apparent. More strange though was the fact that the room he was in was completely made of concrete- Maybe a basement, but more likely a warehouse room of some sort...

"Hnn..." Koji looked beside him as Shinri, in a futon of a similar state, stirred. She was still wearing the same clothes as the day before, her bag placed neatly beside her pillow. Rather than waking up however, she simply rolled over, slipping bag into sleep yet again.

"Keroooo..." Even the turtle was asleep.. Hahaa..

He sat up, stretching his arms forwards as he normally did before looking around the room he was in. It was a relatively small room, having barely enough room for the two futons and a shelf. Almost directly to his left, there was a doorway covered with curtains. Closer to the bed however, was his bag. Deciding to grab that first, he pulled out some clothes and slipped them on from underneath the futon- Best not to take any chances in case someone came in really.. It was lucky he did too, as just when he was done the curtains opened.

"Ahh... It appears you have awakened." A small girl just shorter than Shinri walked in, before taking a seat at the end of Koji's futon. "You are quite lucky I found you... One with an ability such as yours would find it... _difficult_ to survive had it been anyone else." She turned her head, expression unreadable in contrast to Koji's pale face- Though in her case it helped that long black hair was covering most of her face. She appeared to almost be waiting for Koji's response, even though it only took a split second for him to say something.

"E-What?" Koji's mouth was open large enough for a few thousand flies to come in, staring as he tried to take in what this girl had said. "A-Ability...?" Did she mean the 'tiger' perhaps? He jerked back slightly with shock however, as he noted somethings that would have made that impossible- For one thing, he was a tiger when he passed out- And even if someone had somehow transported him out from under that dock, he would have been spotted... Same case for if he some how shifted back. (Though he'd rather not think of that situation.) But more importantly.. ".....You're blind..."

"Hmmm?" What little was not covered by the girl's hair had shifted slightly, so that a milky brown eye could be seen clearly focusing on the one speaking to her. "Quite right... Do not think I cannot recognise the difference between a human and an animal however, 'tiger-san'." She stood, long sleeves trailing down to the ground even as she brushed the dust from her shirt. It was a straightjacket actually, Koji noticed with a nervous mental laugh. The girl stood still for a moment, before turning to the curtain again. "You may call me Kira, 'tiger-san'... Though I would prefer to know both of your names by days end. It would also be helpful to me if you stayed here for now, as you are showing signs of a cold that I would much rather not have to treat for you." Before her 'guest' could protest, Kira turned, blind eyes staring at him in a way that Koji would much rather not have focused on him. "And please- Don't disregard that preferrence." That glare was more frightening than... Well, his he supposed.

Watching as 'Kira' left, he turned towards Shinri as the girl woke up. What were they going to do now exactly... Getting out of the futon and looking around the room, he ran a hand through his hair before pulling out a somehow dry notepad to figure out just that.

(Though he would like to know how the notepad was still dry..)

__________________________________________________________________________

It was about noon, according to the small clock that sat on the otherwise empty shelf in the room. The shelf sat behind the futons, and above it was a small window. He'd climbed up the shelf earlier to peer out through the glass, only to find himself thrown back by some unknown force. Or maybe he just slipped... But in anycase, he was definitly in a basement or a cellar of somesort. He'd found a small note on the shelf however, from his 'captor' (Though it seemed unlikely, after receiving that stare he decided not to take any chances.), and after reading it found himself at least a small bit less confused..

"To which ever awakens first- Be it the one with the shapshifting ability (Likely him), or the pure soul (….Well, he sure as hell wasn't pure, but Shinri looked innocent enough he supposed.).

You are likely wondering where you are if I haven't told you already, and if the condition you arrived in is any clue quite possibly under the belief that you have been kidnapped. While I would very much like you to stay until you have found an appropriate location to live (How?), I will still tell you these few things that I will give you until then. I will also give you a list of conditions however- Do not under any circumstances go against these conditions. (….)

First off, I would rather you do not leave the room you are in unless otherwise asked of you. I will bring you some food of course, but otherwise I would prefer to be left alone; I have a job to fulfill, and it is troublesome when it is inturupted. (Koji wondered briefly what job she could possibly have, but decided to ask later.)

Secondly, you may use anything you find in this room, so long as I do not find it damaged. If something is damaged, and one of you try to hide it, do not think I will not know. Using any abilities you have (…...Something told him she was refering to something completely different) while in this room however could cause disaterous results, so please refrain from any related training.

Another point I would like to say is that when I ask you to leave the room, that will likely mean I wish for you to leave the house as well. Please find a location to spend your time should that happen, and wait for me to bring your back.

Lastly, once the Golden Week ends, I would like it if you went to school like most other children our age- Harbouring two guests in a single room is not something I would like, and it will be easier to find a new location for yourselfs if you are outside of the building."

Koji had stared at this note for quite a while, before turning to tell Shinri to pack up her things- They should probably leave... Staying in this room for the next two and a half months wasn't exactly a good idea, not to mention the oddly controlling tendencies that Kira appeared to have. However, as he scanned the room for his charge, he quickly realized.. Shinri wasn't there. Paleing as he went over and opened the curtain slightly, he soon spotted her on a couch in another room, most likely facing Kira.

Somehow he had a bad feeling about this.... He narrowed his eyes as Shinri laughed about something, a large grin on her face before she moved her mouth to talk again. Why couldn't he hear her... Koji leaned forwards a bit more, before jerking back as Shinri turned to look his way. S-Shit! He shouldn't feel scared, he wasn't in view, but why on earth.. Sitting down on his futon, Koji rubbed his forehead, frowning as he noted that he was sweaty. A cold sweat.. Nothing got his pulse racing enough for a cold sweat, not in terms of pure fear at least..

Lying back on the futon, Koji couldn't help but feel nervous about everything.. Something told him he was stuck in a really bad situation..

When the morning came, Koji was honestly surprised to see a small table by the curtain full of food. It wasn't anything fancy obviously- If anything, it was something you would generally have had for breakfast a few hundred years ago (Who ate rice in the morning now?), but still. It was surpising. Nonetheless, he had grabbed the chopsticks beside his bowl and started eating rather quickly, Shinri soon getting up and eating as well.

Now that he had a clearer head... He had a lot to think about. First thing- Shinri. Only damn living 'relative' (Aside from Shindou's cousin..) left he could pay that debt through, and it has to be someone from the org. Hopefully the fact that they were 'dead' would ease some of the issues there but, nonetheless... He wasn't likely to get any sleep if he just abandoned the kid after Tenshi burned herself to save them both a world of pain, and Shindou died trying to keep him from being an idiot and getting stuck in a room full of chemicals in the first place.

But Shinri... She hadn't finished clearing out all of the people who knew of her and Section F.. If he was supposed to get her into school (She was still talking about it, even with her mouth full. Rice was.. Everywhere..), she couldn't keep that name. He'd probably need to go through some loopholes to get them registered too... Since just leaving her in the school building, where there were plenty of windows and opprotunities to get shot at were was going to put him in hell.. Koji groaned, a muffled sound coming through the rice filled mouth.

"Eh?" Shinri looked over at him, putting her bowl down and swallowing. "Something wrong, Koji-Kun?"

A voice from infront of them answered the question before Koji could swallow, said boy almost chocking on the rice because of it. "Most likely he is wondering how the next few weeks will go, Shinri-Chan." Kira.. Was there. She sat at the table, holding chopsticks somehow through her jacket sleeves and eating her bowl of rice. "Something which he can consider later. I am having some clients coming soon, so I would like you both to leave the house for a small bit."

He swallowed, before blinking. "....Alright..." Don't say no.. It could be the last thing you do.. "I just need to grab some things." Koji got up and headed for the shelf, while Shinri cheerilly agreeing and putting the table and dishes away with Kira. Grabbing his now empty backpack, he put in the notebook and pencil before deciding to put Shinri's soccer ball in as well. Mind as well give the kid something to do.. Zipping it up, he turned around and slipped the bag on his shoulders. "Right.. Come on Shinri, lets go.."

"Haaai!!"

With that, they both headed out, giving Koji a first look at the rest of the area outside the room. ...It definitely wasn't your average basement. The bookshelf that blocked his view before was accompanied by an armchair and another bookshelf beside it, a coffee table and loveseat in front. On the side of the room they were on, there were filing cabneits beside the loveseat.. But on the other side was a table full of small tea candles. Walking up by the table, Koji curiously leaned over to look at them. Each one had a name.. Huh.. "Miyano.. Akemi?"

Akemi.. Where did he hear that name... Miyano was _her_ last name, and last he'd seen that woman (Aside from that wonderful meeting on that rooftop.. How _did_ she escape??) she'd been upset with him killing her sister.. Even though it was an order... Not like he really had a choice in the matter! Akemi.. So that must mean that was Sherry's sister then. Huh. Koji stood up, ignoring Shinri's loud questions of 'what's going on? Aren't we leaving?' and smirking. Figured he'd be bad with names after all that time trying to forget them. He made his way to the door, pushing another curtain aside and turning into a narrow hallway with small steps leading up. There was the way out.. Walking forwards until he was crouching by a pair of wooden doors, he pushed up and looked around.

"Huh. I figured." Nothing special out here- Just the usual back alley of Tokyo. Stepping out, he helped Shinri up before looking around. "So.. Shinri. Where do you want to go?" He shut the doors, heading out the alley with her beside him, waiting for a response.

Shinri simply blinked at first though. "Eh... Well, I've only been to Tokyo once but..." She frowned, before suddenly brightening up. "Is there a place like the roof? Can we go somewhere like that?"

The roof? Koji mentally laughed, before nodding. "Yea.. We can go find a park.." He could probably find a bench to sit and think on then.. Good thing it was saturday though, kids had to be in school by law at this 'age'. "Lets just see where we are first.." They got out on the sidewalk, and he looked around for a street sign before names and buildings began running through his mind. He knew this place like the back of his hand, after all he'd done around here- Section F was one thing, the place had no landmarks or signs at all really. But outside the building was another thing. If they were on Nebenashi... Then the nearest park would be... "Ja... This way, Shinri!"

"Ah! Hai!"

__________________________________________________________________________

Watching Koji walk off, Shinri jogged up a bit to catch up before simply falling into a steady walk, looking around and taking in as many things as she could. So many places.. While on missions that were unexpectedly longer than planned, Jino and Maideira (Who was often the supervisor for said missions) would generally get a hotel, where they would sit around in, or visit the large and popular locations. But she'd never gone to places like this- The streets full of stores she'd never seen, the many people and conversations she was overhearing.. By the time she got to the park, she had asked so many 'what's that?' questions that she swore that Koji was about to explode! So she was more than happy to take her soccer ball and run over to the large field when they'd reached it, joining a group of kids while her friend took a seat on a secluded and well hidden park bench.

There were about three kids there- Profiles appeared in Shinri's mind from habit, instant judgements on physical ability being made. One, slightly tanned, extremely short hair that was missing in one area. Overweight, but likely very strong. He seemed tall, but he was probably 8 seeing how he was just as tall as Koji really... Beside him, another boy, not as tall, but taller than herself. Short hair, but there were visible bangs in the front. Skinny, 'tooth pick' build, likely very quick. And lastly a girl, shorter than her by likely an inch, shoulder length hair, build average in appearance. Likely average speed then. Shinri was knocked out of her analyzing however, when the girl spotted her with the ball and blinked with what appeared to be confusion, before walking towards her.

"Hi! Do you want to play with us?" Whatever confusion the girl had seemed to be gone now, though the other two showed it quite clearly- A look of framilliarity seemed to flash across their faces, before a slight frown appeared, telling Shinri that they'd likely mistaken her for someone.

"Sure!" She ignored that feeling however, instead holding out her soccer ball. "Can we play soccer?" Finally, a change to play with her ball.. But before the girl infront of her answered, she quickly reminded herself of what Koji had told her on the way to the park.

'_Listen, Shinri- There are still people out there who want us dead, ok..?' Koji had looked almost sad when he said this, and she had felt no better. Then however.. 'But, I don't want you to worry. So long as we're careful, things will be fine. In anycase, I should be fine since I was a 'civillian' anyways.. But you need a new name.. How about...'_

"Ah... I'm Kiyoiri by the way. Matsuda, Kiyoiri. What's your name?" It was a nice name, Shinri thought. 'Ri' from Shinri or truth (Though the kanji by itself meant 'logic'... Close enough..) and 'Kiyoi' for 'clear' or 'pure'. And her dad's last name... She meantally shook her head- Be happy! And waited for her new friend's response.

The girl had brightened even more if it was possible. "Ah! I'm Yoshida, Ayumi! Pleased to meet you!" She grinned, before lightly tugging Shinri (Or Kiyoiri) over to the others. "Mitshuiko-Kun, Genta-Kun! This is Kiyoiri-chan! She's going to play with us!~" The boys both blinked, before the taller one grinned and held out a hand to shake.

"Yosh! Great!" Grabbing Kiyoiri's hand, he continued. "I'm Kojima Genta! Leader of the Shonen Tantei!" Kiyoiri briefly wondered what the 'Shonen Tantei' were, before the other boy smiled as well, and also held out a hand.

"I'm Tsuburaya, Mitsuhiko. Nice to meet you, Matsuda!" Her last name? Still smiling as she responded with a 'nice to meet you all too!', she shook it off. Oh yea.. Most people addressed each other by their surname when they first met.

"Ah... 'Kiyoiri-chan' is fine too!" It still felt weird though! Weirder than responding to a name that wasn't hers originally.. Watching the two boys shocked, but soon quite happy faces, she had to giggle. "Ah.. So.. Let's play then!" A resounding 'hai!' came from the others, and soon the four were kicking and passing the ball to each other, Kiyoiri's thoughts on Koji quickly dissapearing... And for once, simply focusing on having fun.

_______________________________________________________________________

They were in Beika. He'd realized that as soon as he'd seen the sign of course, but it was still a bit unnerving that he was currently staying in the same area he'd last seen _her_. Koji watched from the shadows of the trees as Shinri played around in the frosty field with her friends, face red with cold and grin a mile wide. He had to smirk. Looked like she'd gotten over the last few days in anycase.. He'd been a bit worried (Not that he'd admit) for a bit.. Though she could hide her emotions well, the entire day before in Kira's 'house' she'd been tossing and turning non-stop in her sleep.

He looked down at his notebook, jotting down a few more things. He was honestly glad he'd come up with that name the day before though- It gave him some time to think it over, not to mention it made it easier to remember. Nibbling the end of the pen in a way similar to Jino's pocky sticks for a few seconds, he mulled over the 'plan of action' he had for everything so far. He would have to enroll Kiyoiri and himself using school computers.. It'd be pretty easy to break into the nearest school though. From what he could remember, that would be... Teitan Elementary. Koji groaned, the pen falling out of his mouth and onto the pad of paper as he thought about reliving school again. Dear god.. The only good thing about this was that he'd never be tired again!

Closing the notebook, Koji leaned back and stretched, looking at the time, and back at Kiyoiri. Hnnn... Those kids seemed barely framilliar.. He pushed that out of his mind, shrugging. Eh, let them be, he figured. They were having fun in anycase. Lying back to take up the full park bench, he rolled over and shut his eyes, keeping his ears wide open incase anything happened. Mind as well take a cat nap (Oh, _haha_...) while he was out... It was pretty nice for January after all.

Though when he woke up later, he was a bit curious as to what Kiyoiri was doing with a pin that had Holmes and the letters 'DB' on it, and even more questioning about why the tallest of her friends was missing his.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Reunions- Good or Bad?**

The days before the Golden Week went by far too quickly he told himself as he sat outside the windows of the school. It was about 11:00 at night, last time he'd checked- Which was good, since that meant he wouldn't walk into anyone. Koji looked around again however, just in case Maybe he was paranoid.. Hell, he could hear whatever was coming long before he saw it now, but he'd rather not take any chances. Lightly lifting the window up, he slipped inside the empty classroom before shutting the window behind him. Lesse... Hands in his pockets, Koji walked over to the door and into the hall, wandering about as he looked for the office. He really had waited until the last minute to do this though..

_Apparently_ Kira had said to wait until 'Golden Week' because she believed that was when school began- She never went to school herself, hard as it had been to believe, and once Kiyoiri mentioned that her new friends were getting ready for grade 3 starting on the 5th of April, Kira had instantly told them that they should hurry and enroll in that case. So here he was... On the fourth of April, sneaking into the office of the school. It wasn't that hard to find the room though, now that he thought about it. The boy pulled the chair out and turned the computer on, fingers moving across the keyboard as soon as the login screen was fully loaded. Hnn... Cracking his fingers, he looked around the room for some hints to the password, before frowning and looking back at the computer. This... Was going to be a long night...

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-_bnnnnnnnn_-

Unngg..... Not already.....

-_bnnnnnnnnnnnnnn-_

A pale hand moved outward from a lump underneath a futon, feeling around before slamming down on the 'off' button of an alarm clock Said hand was soon followed by an arm, a torso.. And lots of hair. Koji yawned, glaring at the clock that he had to set for seven, before nudging Kiyoiri. "Oi... Kiyoiri..." There was a muffled groan, before the girl rolled over. "Hah.... Kiyoiri, we need to shower and eat still..." The bags and lunches were all ready- Money had been 'given' (He had a bad feeling) from Kira for lunch, and the bags had everything they needed otherwise. However... In order to get to the nearest _free_ shower and still grab breakfast in time for the first day of school... Another glare was sent towards the clock, before Koji grabbed his things and left through the curtain to let the groggy Kiyoiri change.

The second day there, Kira had shown them where she showered. A woman who was listed as Kira's 'guardian' allowed her to use her washroom it seemed.. Why Kira didn't simply live there was unknown of course, but he wasn't about to go asking about it either. Sadly, 'Luo Mei' was about half an hour's walk away... And although the woman would gladly give them some breakfast (With a grin oddly similar to Kira's unfortunately), it was still in a direction almost opposite the school. He could actually draw a perfect triangle in his mind with those three points.. So while the shower and breakfast wouldn't take long, it would still take half an hour to get there.

They could cut ten minutes with that shortcut he knew.. Which meant 30 one way, 20 there.. He could eat breakfast on the go- Kiyoiri didn't like showers in the morning, he just had to make sure she showered after school. The two were already out on the street at this point, Kiyoiri having already gotten dressed, and he himself wearing clothes from the day before, which he planned to leave at Luo Mei's. By the time they got left he figured.. It would be about ten to eight. If they ran and took that short cut, they would just make it. Damn. They were going to have to wake up a lot earlier then.. Koji stifled a yawn, jogging a bit while Kiyoiri rushed to catch up to him. Urggg... It was too early for this...

Had they been more awake, they would have likely noticed one of two things, or maybe even both. One, while Kira had not been seen while they were there, turning around the might have caught a glimpse of her heading towards the school. Had they looked yet again 30 minutes later on the other route, they would have spotted a boy who looked almost identical to Kiyoiri heading in the same direction they were. But the boy would be long gone by the time they got there, so it really didn't matter.

Did it?

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Sitting at a desk labeled with his name, Conan Edogawa stared at the chalkboard, eyes almost closed while the others in the room excitedly spoke amongst themselves. 8.. Grade three. Two years since he'd become 'Conan'. A small frown came over his face as he thought of this. Two years, and the black organization not only wasn't taken out completely, but an antidote for the 'APTX' had still not been found. Grade 3... He should have been taking the entrance exams for University, not sitting in a elementary classroom.

And yet here he was, while Ran was off to Kyoto for University, he was sitting here, listening as Ayumi and Mitsuhiko went on about the new friend they'd met early in January. A friend that he had somehow always missed seeing due to a case. What were the chances.. In any case, he thought, he mind as well pay some attention to them.

"...Eh?" Though... He'd honestly missed everything they were saying while he was thinking.. Aha.. "Ahaaa... Ayumi-chan, what did you say?"

Ayumi frowned, Mitsuhiko laughing nervously before speaking rather than subject his friend to Ayumi's angry comments. "Well.. We were just talking about Kiyoiri-chan.. She did something strange last week but..." He paused for a moment, before continuing. "But that's not what we were really trying to tell you.." Mitsuhiko turned towards the door, before turning back and taking his seat in the row across from a desk with no label on it. "See, when Genta-kun and I passed the office, we heard lots of strange comments!"

There was a grunt of agreement from Ayumi, the girl grabbing Conan's attention as she went from where her friend had left off. "That's right! According to Genta-kun, there were three late entries into the class! One was found in two days ago, and the other last night!"

Late entries? Conan blinked, before frowning. "Ah.. So then they'll probably have moved in recently.." The students in the class had stayed relatively the same since he'd come, save for a few comings and goings.. But three new kids at once? "Most likely that's why there are some desks without labels then- They might have to stand up front and introduce themselves too.." A loud buzzing noise came from above, and the others in the class rushed for their designated seats. "Ah! Guess we'll find out then!"

Genta rushed in from the hallway, taking his seat behind Haibara Ai, while Ayumi took the seat in the row next to the girl. Mitsuhiko turned his chair back to the front, while Conan turned around to his friend to mouth 'you okay?'. The two had been away for reasons tied to getting that large black stain off of Japan but.. Most recently, Ai had been a bit withdrawn, almost in a permanent state of 'frozenness'. The response of 'I'm fine' came back, Conan giving a nervous but reassuring smile before turning back to the front as the teacher walked in.

"Good morning class!" She had a slight accent, and as the woman smiled at the resounding 'Good morning!!' from her students, she introduced herself, the reason for the accent becoming clear. "I am your teacher, Ms. Jutte, and I hope we'll have a good year together!" 'Jutte'... That was German, Conan realized, yet the teacher seemed more American than German A glance at a picture on her desk however, which had a group of her and a few other blond, blue eyed and similar to the teacher in appearance told him that she wasn't either of them- The giant nickel was a Canadian tourist attraction. Made sense that her last name was German when he thought about it though- Many Germans had settled in Canada anyway... Ms. Jutte's voice pulled him out of his instinctual way of analyzing people however, as she motioned towards the door.

"Now, before we start, we have some students who weren't here last year. I'd like them to come in and introduce themselves. You first please!" Heads turned towards the front, as a small girl with a hat covering her eyes came in.

Blinded as she was by the hat however, she seemed to have no difficulty in turning to face the class. "Good morning.. I am Nguyen, Kira." She bowed slightly, sleeves and hair shifting slightly as they dangled on and near the floor. "Pleased to meet you."

The teacher stepped in at this point, laying a hand on Kira's shoulder and using the other one to point towards the back- An odd gesture for a blind person, but helpful nonetheless. "Your seat is in the back, alright Nguyen-san?" Kira nodded, and walked towards the back as Ms. Jutte continued. "Now, Nguyen-san is blind, but do not think she can't do just as well as the rest of you- If I see any bad treatment towards her, I will not hesitate to call your parents in!" A gasp came from a few of the students, some muttering towards each other before a hush came over those sitting near Kira. This girl.. Seemed scary for some reason..

Raising a hand as she quieted the class, the teacher made a few 'shh' noises before silence came over the room. "Alright.. There are still two others who need to introduce themselves, so please quiet down!" She stepped aside, motioning for whoever was outside to come in. "You two can come in now."

As the two students walked in, Conan felt his heart stop for a split second, while an odd chocking/gasping sound came from behind him. The girl on the left was introducing herself as 'Matsuda Kiyoiri', and seemed as the kids had told him- Nothing special there. (Though she looked oddly like him...)

But the boy beside her was the exact image of _Gin._

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

He had already been pretty damn nervous when he'd gotten to the office and spotted Kira there. His first thought originally was to yell and ask what she was doing there of course, but a split second after that thought he remembered that this was Kira- Same person who somehow managed to inflict fear without even trying. Like now.

He'd been even more nervous as an odd feeling of dread came over him outside the classroom. As though something in _there_ would be much better off for him if he stayed out _here._ And walking in...

It was difficult to just stay calm and introduce himself properly. "Hello..." Right in front of him.. "..My name is Hisoka, Koji.." Was a face that could simply not have been there. "Pleased to meet you." Bow, look up again.. No.. No the face wasn't gone. Glaring daggers at him was the split image of _her._ And the only seats left were in close vicinity of her. Listening as the teacher pointed towards their seats, he quickly grabbed the one in front of 'Haibara Ai' as the label said, and turned his eyes to the front while Kiyoiri took the seat beside the girl. He soon regretted it however, as later during lunch, he realized that Kiyoiri had very quickly noticed the looks that Koji was getting from said girl (Also the boy beside him, he didn't know why.. Did he know an 'Edogawa'? ).

"Ano.. Koji-kun?" She leaned over on her desk, watching as Conan and Ai quickly packed up their things so they could eat elsewhere. "Do you know these two? They look mad at you.." Ahahaha... He quickly responded 'no', while grabbing around in his bag for his lunch.

"Never met them- I don't know why they'd be mad..." Similar as _she_ looked, it couldn't be her; Unless she'd managed to get her own vat of APTX remnants and miraculously survived. As for 'Edogawa Conan'.. He looked a lot like Kiyoiri, but there was no way he could possibly be that same 'detective' he'd killed. (What was his name again..?)

However, it seemed that both of them disagreed quite a bit with that statement, and as Conan hoisted his bag on to head outside and eat, he instantly turned to respond to that comment. "Really? It figures you'd forget!" Turning back to the door and leaving, Haibara gave him a similar look before following. Kiyoiri in the meantime, looked from Koji to the door, to her friends, before nervously laughing.

"Aha.. Maybe it was in passing then?" Yea.. He doubted that.. "Ano, Koji-kun... I'm gonna go eat with the others ok?" Kiyoiri waited a few moments before Koji nodded and grabbed his lunch, coming out with her.

"That's fine... I'll be by the tree ok?" Watching as Kiyoiri nodded, he headed over to a large oak tree and settled underneath the rather shady branches. Lesse, lunch was.. He opened the lid of the bento box, before grabbing the chopsticks. Rice (Duh), some egg, green peppers and some sort of cookie. Eating the rice, Koji picked up said cookie and stared at it suspiciously. The other day, Kira mentioned cooking something with Luo Mei.. Placing the cookie back, he swallowed the rest of his rice while mentally telling himself to figure out what went into them.

"...What are you doing here?" Eh? Koji blinked, turning around with slight surprise as he spotted Haibara about a foot away, still glaring at him. Weird, he didn't hear her for once.. Silent for a moment, he was pulled from thoughts on how someone had snuck up on him. "Well, _Gin_?"

G-Gin!?! Koji paled instantly, before standing up and blinking with shock. "H-How did you- ...I mean... Who.."

-smack!- Koji grabbed his cheek, dumbly staring at Ai as the girl spoke, her hand red from the slap she'd given. "That was for my sister! And this!" And other slap, this time the other side of his face, the force slamming his head into the tree. "This is for Kudo-kun!"

"K-Kudo?" That name sounded- Wait, that was the detective's name! But why... He held his head, groaning as he stood back up. "Your sister..." Aw hell no. HELL NO! "Sher-" This time, he received a punch to the jaw. Wiping blood from his cheek as he felt the inside of his mouth heal up, he frowned, before steadying himself with the tree. "......How did you end up like this then?"

The girl's eye's narrowed, before Ai spoke. "Same way you did, _Gin_." Why wasn't he doing anything, she wondered briefly. Why hadn't he retaliated from the moment she slapped him?

Koji blinked for a moment before shutting his eyes partially. Oh, so he couldn't use her name, but she could use his? Greaaaat... Wait, same way- Mouth hanging slightly open as he realized just what he said, he snapped his mouth shut before taking his arm off the tree. "W-wwwwaaait what!?" He backed away a few steps, almost tripping over his lunch. "I.. I was just drowned in a vat of chemicals. This does NOT tell me how you're here too!" Somehow he'd managed to keep his voice low enough to avoid attracting attention from the other kids.. Somehow.

"A.. A vat of chemicals?" Haibara blinked, caught off guard by both the answer and Koji's general reaction. That was strange... Aside from the fact that he was definitely acting less uptight, not to mention far less 'assassin-like'... A vat? A _vat_ of chemicals? How in the hell did he end up in one full of what was likely APTX? All poisons and chemicals left over had been sent to another sector, that was true but.. "I.. I assumed you took the APTX4869.."

Koji's face deadpanned, the look he was giving Ai rather reminiscent of Jino. "The suicide drug? Why would I- …..You took that??" Now that he thought about it.. When she had been handcuffed to the pipes she had a sample in her pocket.. Oh lovely. She escaped the same way he did! "And 'Megane'?"

Glasses? "'Megane'?" Ai frowned, before following Koji's look over to where Conan had been pulled into a game with the other kids. "...You mean Kudo-kun? ...I suppose you know now that he never really died."

"Huh." Sitting back down, he stared for a bit before glancing at Ai's watch. 5 minutes until bell.. And he still had half his lunch left. "Guess not..." He supposed he'd normally be bothered immensely by this fact but.. In all honesty, poison effects weren't exactly in his control.. Besides, at least he knew why the brat was so pissed off at him. He'd be too if someone almost killed him (and then walked right into the same room as he was.)... Though he'd probably go a bit further than glares...

Watching as Koji began eating the rest of his food, Ai sat down as well, looking over towards the others before speaking. "You've changed quite a lot I see."

"Mmmph?"

"...." She blinked at the sight of 'Gin' stuffing his face to make it before the bell rang before covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. "N-Nothing.. Just wondering what happened.." Taking a small breath, she turned back towards the crowd again before continuing. "That girl though.. Who exactly is she? She can't possibly be a relative of Kudo-kun's..."

-_Bzzzzzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzzz!_- Before Koji had the chance to swallow in order to answer that, the bell rang, and the two stood up as though their seats had been on fire.

"Never mind then..." Ai looked towards the school, turning back to Koji before frowning, an icy glare still present. "Don't think I'll forgive you for what you've done, _'Hisoka'_. We will speak later... Meet me after school." With that she left to join a confused and slightly angry looking Conan, Koji left scratching the back of his head with an oddly straight face.

"....That went better than I'd expected." It was painful, but better than expected. At least she hadn't tried to strangle him or anything. But to think, he thought as he walked back into the building and took his seat next to Conan, that it was the damn pill all along... ….

He still had to meet up with her after school. Crap.

….At least he'd get some sleep before then...

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The walk to Ai's house was rather.. Awkward to say the least. At least for the oldest of the group. Kiyoiri and the three kids were walking ahead, chattering away about 'Yaiba' or something, while Koji, Conan, and Ai simply walked behind them in silence. What was left in silence however, was more than made up for with facial expressions.

Koji, walking in the middle, had a look that far betrayed his former career as assassin. Walking between both his angry, vengeful ex-girlfriend whose sister he killed and an exceedingly pissed off miniaturized detective who was still waiting to pass on a few simple words to a childhood friend, he couldn't do anything more than attempt to steady his breath while switching his gaze between Ai and Conan.

Ai in the meantime stared forwards constantly, an emotionless and focused gaze in place as the girl kept a steady pace. Most likely however.. She was thinking of some 'tests' to do to figure out the differences in effects from the remnants and the pill of APTX. Preferably painful ones.

And then there was Conan. Somehow he had managed to keep a frosty glare fixed on Koji the entire walk, without bumping into a single person, sign, pole.. Nothing. And he'd thought that Ai's stare was bad.. The look he was getting from this kid was making him wonder if he really was as for the law as he stated. (Not to mention the number he was already breaking... )

They couldn't have gotten to the house faster... If it hadn't been for Kira standing directly behind him, he probably would have bolted by now. Thankfully however, they soon came up to the block of large and expensive American styled houses, Walking past the three Shonen Tantei while Kiyoiri asked why they were going to Ai's house. Kira meanwhile walked off with Ayumi and the other boys. (Was that safe?)

Entering the house and removing his shoes, his frightened thoughts were cut off by only one thing. Conan's voice.

"Sit." Conan's voice was by no means kind (At least to him), and really, he couldn't blame him. Taking a seat with Kiyoiri on the couch in the living room, Conan and Ai sat across from them, silence settling before the one with glasses opened his mouth to speak again. "Ja-"

"Hmm? Conan-kun, Ai-kun.. Who are these two?" An elderly, overweight man walked in, wiping his hands with a white (Though now greying) cloth. "You didn't mention having visitors, I could have prepared something.." He paused momentarily, before his eyes froze on Kiyoiri. "...How.."

Ai stood up quickly, sending a look to Agasa before turning to Kiyoiri. "Ah, that would be because we just met them today Hakase! Here, why don't you go make some tea with Kiyoiri-chan, I'm sure she'd enjoy it! You could even show her the lab..." The smile on her face was definitely fake Koji decided, but at least his charge bought it. Jumping up instantly, Kiyoiri grinned broadly before turning to Agasa.

"R-Really?!"

Agasa in the meantime looked from Conan (Who had a relatively emotionless face on), Ai (False happiness) to Kiyoiri, and back to Ai. "Ah.. O-Of course... Right this way, the kitchen is over here.." Walking towards the back of the house, one could hear a steadily fading 'Wowwwww, this house is big enough for 10.. No, 20 of ours!!'

There was a bit more silence for a few minutes. Finally, Ai spoke first. "So," She said, eyes not once moving from Koji's pale face, "How about you start with why you were not at Section I when it was taken out. And then finish with how you got here." Section I? Ah... That was where he was transferred from, that's right...

He swallowed nervously, studying the two in front of him before he could speak. Conan was looking oddly frightening for someone on the side of justice. Though, being on the opposite side most of his life, that could be part of it. There was a slight glimmer of confusion in both their faces however before he managed to get some words out of his open mouth however- But hey, who expected an ex-assassin to act like this? That was probably it... Yea...

"Well..." Cough, before continuing, "For the first part, that's an easy answer I suppose.. I received a transfer to make use of my secondary skills."

Conan leaned forward slightly, a hint of curiosity now present in his eyes. "Secondary skills?"

"Ah.. Y-Yea.." Koji scratched the back of his neck, swallowing. Geeze, why the hell did meeting up with bitter enemies make a guy this nervous? "It's rare, but an agent can be transferred for the use of a second job they have the skills for.. Mine was as a scientist to fill in a spot at Section F-"

"S-Section.." Conan and Koji both turned to Ai, who had gone pale, her eyes widened. "That place..."

"...What's so different about 'Section F', Haibara?" Conan frowned, looking over at Koji with suspicion, as if to say 'This is YOUR fault'. The look was responded too with an instinctual frown that also said 'It is NOT', before being replaced with a small frown towards Ai.

Ai shook her head, her usual indifferent stare coming back into place. "Section F is the only branch of the organization that only the head knows about- It is used mainly for the even darker sides of the organization, and I once heard rumors of human experimentation... We sent the last remains of APTX there, when the poison was labeled as a failure for it's original purposes.." She stared at the ground for a bit, before speaking again. "And you were transferred there? ...I suppose that explains your 'vat of chemicals' statement.."

Koji laughed half-heartedly, eyes half-lidded before a similar stare came his way from Conan. "...You shrank because of a vat of chemicals?"

"....What's it to you?"

There was another short bout of silence before a response came, Conan blinking owlishly for a few seconds. "Ah... Nothing I guess... So, this section F, where is it exactly?"

Ahahaa.. He was wondering when they'd ask that. Koji jerked his head towards the front door. "South of here. Can't remember more than that though." Please leave it at that... He really wasn't in the mood to meddle in the Org's business again.

"Bullshit 'Hisoka-kun', you have the best geographical skills I've ever heard off." Ai put quite a bit of emphasis on Koji's 'name', before pressing on again. "As Kudo-kun asked, where is it?"

"It's on an island!!" The three turned abruptly, looks of shock across their faces as Kiyoiri put some tea on the table. "It's really really far though...." Kiyoiri's cheerful look faded into a sad smile as she drew her hands back from the teapot, removing her oven mitts and putting them under her armpit. "And I don't thing you want to go there, it's not fun at all..."

Koji stood up quickly, grabbing Kiyoiri's shoulder. "K-Kiyoiri... Ah.." He turned towards the back hall, before turning her towards his face and smiling. "Why don't you go talk with Agasa again? I bet he knows a lot of things you can ask him about!"

The sad face was gone instantly. "Ah!! Right!! I was making cookies with him too!" Conan and Ai both sweatdropped. Cookies? Kiyoiri however, was oblivious to this, and ran back towards the kitchen. "I'll bring them out when they're done!"

They stared for a few moments, before Koji took his seat again and Conan poured himself some tea. Turning back to Koji, Ai frowned. "If Section F is on an island south of here, how did you escape without outside help?"

"He used his tiger powers!"

"Pbbbt!!!" The reaction to Kiyoiri's statement was.. Priceless. Ai's mouth practically fell open, wide eyes moving from Kiyoiri to Koji while the girl grabbed her other oven mitt (It had fallen when Koji grabbed her) and ran back to the kitchen. Koji's face in the meantime had simply frozen into the classic 'OSHIT' face, thoughts of very painful experiments courtesy of 'you-know-who' running through his head, having heard just earlier from Kiyoiri about the sorts of tools that Conan and Ai both had at their disposal. Conan however, had just taken a sip of his tea. Said tea was now all over a very disgruntled Koji, while Ai and Conan turned to look at each other.

"She's too naïve to possibly lie about this..."

Conan simply nodded. "Agreed. But how.." He turned to Koji, a nice new glare set in place. "....Hisoka..."

Oh great. Just damn brilliant.. Rubbing his forehead, Koji silently bid all his pain-free days goodbye in favor of a more honest life. Tilting his head back, he breathed deeply and stared at the ceiling for a few moments, hands covering his face before a loud sigh was heard by the other two. He took a deep breath..

..And turned his head back to the others, blue eyes and black stripes showing plainly around white skin and hair, almost as much as the teeth as he bared a rather insane smirk.

….The look on their faces was _so_ worth it in the end... Even if Ai slapped him for laughing about it.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Explanations**

"This... Goes against all reason.."

Conan and Ai were staring at Koji, the former muttering as he blinked with confusion. "It.. It has to be some kind of trick, there's no way.."

Before Koji could snap back at Conan about this, Ai spoke up, swallowing nervously as she looked around to make sure Kiyoiri wasn't listening in on them. "How did this happen...." She seemed almost familiar with the sight of a partial tiger in front of her. Her eyes narrowed, the girl drawing back slightly before continuing. "And be specific."

"Specific?" Koji blinked, before sighing. He had a bad feeling about this.. Mind as well spill everything at this point though, seeing how it wouldn't likely get much worse than this. "Right. Well, this came from when I was slipped a sample of 'DNATX 1040'... Some supposedly failed poison that Section F was working on. Last person to take it took it as a test subject.. That's all I know about that though." It was a lie sure, but he didn't have to go into detail about Inuhen. Forgetting her as fast as possible would be best really. "It's about the closest thing to immortality they've gotten actually.. Instant regeneration. Also adds a second string of DNA, which I have to focus on not activating unless I plan to start mowing down on the next person to piss me off.." The only good thing about this he decided, was how calm the 'tiger' made him. The rather strong scent from the tea seemed to have an almost intoxicating effect, and it was definitely.. Soothing. Hopefully, they didn't catch the lie in there...

The response was as expected again. Bug eyes and a few blinks. And then, oddly enough, it was Conan, his face a look of suspicion, who spoke up. "...I don't completely believe this but.. I suppose that's an acceptable description.." Damn well better be! The glasses wearing boy spoke again however, shooting away Koji's chance to ask if he could leave. "I do however, have another question. Who is 'Matsuda Kiyoiri', and why is she with you?"

"....." There was a silence settling down on them for a moment as Koji frowned, wondering how to answer that question completely. He had sworn to keep all ties to the organization cut to keep Kiyoiri safe, and to keep her identity secret as well to further keep that promise. Living while knowing that he'd gone against a word he'd made to put him at ease about Shindou and Tenshi's death would not leave him sleeping well at night. At all really. Scratching his cheek as he allowed his face to revert back to human form (Gaining some interesting looks from the other two), he mentally groaned, before coming up with the 'correct' answer. But first, to find out what the others knew.. "... She-" He coughed, catching Ai's instantaneous glare before quickly reminding himself what her name was now. "Haibara.. Do you know anything about 'GENESIS'?" It would make things a lot easier, please please please...

Ai's reaction to the question was a mixed look of shock and fear. "Genesis... No. But if the name implies what I think then.." Conan seemed to catch onto the meaning just as quickly, his face paling quickly as well.

"'Genesis' means creation.. You don't mean to say that Matsuda is actually-"

"She's a clone." Koji cut the two in front of him off quickly, before continuing on as he pointed at Conan. "More specifically, yours 'Megane'. Created from a sample taken two years ago."

There was a shocked silence, before Conan took a rather shaky breathe and narrowed his eyes. "How."

Oh, was everything his fault or something!? Screw being careful with reactions here, Koji decided, sending an equally pissed glare back. "Your _cousin once removed_, baka. You didn't see him from what I heard, but he managed to get in and take a hair from something in there..." Koji's voice was far less relaxed and more like the tense and cold version of his former self. Ignoring Conan's look at 'baka', he continued. "Matsuda Shindou, AKA Amaretto.. I bet you didn't know members of your own family were in the very organization you were taking down eh, Megane?" Ai and Conan both made a motion to speak, as though to say they already knew this but stopped, Koji frowning with a look of confusion across his face. "In any case. 'Shinri', or 'Schnapps' was obviously not a perfect clone... She was raised to be an assassin, but because of what's going on, she was supposed to be 'terminated' a few months ago."

Ai nodded stiffly with the explanation, eyes shifting from Conan and back to Koji before she chose to speak again. "Ja, so we know who she is now, but that is only half of Kudou-kun's question. Why is she with you?" The girl's expression seemed close to.. pity almost. Probably for the girl Koji decided. She sure as hell didn't pity _him._

"....I'm getting to that." Back to 'new Gin' now, Koji's voice settled once more and actually quieter than normal. "Shindou, along with two others, were on the team I worked with while at Section F. The people there are a bit.. Odd really. The building has almost no windows, and it's large enough to be a miniature city. Most people there live out their entire lives inside. That.. Is probably the reason why the people there acted almost the opposite of what those in other sections did. In any case.. On my birthday, I was trying to avoid them being alone in the lab for long- They were trying to celebrate it, and I obviously did not. When I returned from grabbing lunch however, I was sprayed with confetti, crazy string..." The boy's eyes dimmed, his gaze fixed on the shined teapot full of cold tea in front of him. Briefly, he wondered why he could still remember Shindou's name. He'd never called him by it, had he.. Koji frowned, and continued.

"Needless to say, I left the room without a word. Shindou came after me to apologize, and I ignored him. By the time he'd caught up, we were in a room surrounded by large vats of chemicals, and locked inside when one of them failed... Shindou gave his life needlessly to warn me of my own, which, in my opinion, made be in debt to him, or at least his living relatives." Koji's eyes raised from the teapot to sit on Conan, before closing.

"Within Section F, Shindou had 'Shinri', who he cared for as a daughter, and his wife, who I also worked with. Tenshi is the one who found and recovered me from the remains of the chemicals, also saving my life in my opinion. If I had been found, I likely would have been subject to human experimentation..." Like Inuhen, he thought grimly, biting his tongue for a few seconds to forget before going on. "So for that reason, I saw myself in debt to Tenshi as well. Except, in order for Shinri and I too escape... She also died." Koji ran his fingers over his head, before sitting back to look at the other two with what could easily be considered 'dead' eyes. "I can't simply go searching for her relatives, and there was no way in hell I could search out for Shindou's either.. So, since Shinri had come to know 'Koji' as a friend, I decided to look after her. It'll at least help me sleep at night, knowing that her 'parents' souls will be at rest for that..."

There was silence after that, for a long while. Kiyoiri eventually showed up with a tray of cookies, announcing that Agasa had offered to show her his experiments. The silence created by the other three was only broken with a 'be careful' from both Koji and Conan, the two looking at each other oddly afterwards, and settling back into silence yet again after the girl left. Finally, Conan spoke up, the look of anger and hatred now gone from his eyes.

"....You know... I never thought I'd be talking to my near killer in multiple different incidents like this.." Catching Koji's confused frown, Conan laughed quietly, before continuing. "Aha.. Yea, you wouldn't know about those other times would you? It figures that the one who erases names from memory would have memory problems as well."

Ai frowned as well, turning to Conan. "Memory problems?" She turned to Koji, frown still in place. "From what I recall, you supposedly had one of the best memories in the Section."

Koji merely grunted at this, scratching the back of his head. "Hnn... That's geographically.. I'm naturally bad with names Sh- ….Haibara..." It was taking all he had to not slip up with Sherry dammit...

"Ja, in any case, let's refresh your memory." Conan slipped off the couch, before holding up an open palm. "Incident one- Shikansen bombing case. Before you and 'Vodka' left the train, you ran into someone didn't you...?"

He knew there was something weird about that brat! "...No way..." Damn. He'd kicked the kid out of the way because he was in a rush and all but.. Damn, he'd been that close?

Conan continued on, bringing down his thumb to leave four fingers up.. "Incident two, the supposed meeting with Itakura- That time.. If you had looked in just one more of those lockers, you would probably have found me out.."

This time, Koji's reaction was rather humorous It took a few minutes before Itakura could ring any bells, but after connecting that to lockers.. "E-EH!?" Conan blinked with surprise as Koji made a face he'd normally have thought impossible for him. "That was you!?" Geeze! How many things was this kid getting into...

"...Yes." The boy's expression deadpanned, and Ai simply shook her head, rolling her eyes at the last outburst. "There's three more though.. One, you're probably already familiar with." He pulled out his voice changer, flipping it around to show the mildly surprised Koji before fiddling with the dials a bit. "**Recognize this voice, Hisoka?**"

Again, Koji's jaw dropped, his eyes narrowed as a few noises that Ai would later say sounded like a cat hissing to her amusement escaped him. "T-That's... Then what Pisco was trying to say that night.." They were only at three and already the number of close calls was astounding- What were the chances of running into this kid so often?! For a brief moment, just a small one, Koji thought of the fact that he'd seen Ai as her original self at that time- Something that maybe meant there was an antidote of some sort but.. He threw the thought away, still staring at Conan with shock. There would be no use going back to 'Gin' at this point. He'd be considered a traitor if he did. How ironic..

Conan put the bow tie down, smirking. "Yea.. Most likely, he had been about to say 'You don't understand, 'Sherry' and 'Kudou Shinichi' are both disguised as children!'. Whether or not you would have believed him if he'd gotten that out though, I don't really know." ...He had a point there. "In any case, the next one, you should also remember- It's how you got that scar." The boy's gaze hardened into his usual 'case solving' stare again, letting Koji mull over the information.

The scar that Akai had given him, the day he had been targeting 'Mouri Kogoro'... "Gh! That day..." And in an outfit nearly identical to the one on the Shikansen train... It looked as though 'Megane' had been following along with quite a few of his assignments.. "Unbelievable.." Noticing that Conan still had one last finger held up, Koji added on to the statement. "...There's only one more assignment I had in Tokyo during that time.... If you were part of that.."

"Yea. The last encounter you and I had, or almost had, during your recapture of 'Kirsch'." Damn. This kid had really been screwing him over from the start hadn't he? Kirsch had already been revealed as a CIA agent, most of the Sections having been taken out for a while.. Most likely she was lurking around elsewhere for them. "Still, you act completely different from all of those encounters... I don't know whether I should be glad or just suspicions.."

Ahahahaa.. Koji was spared the joys of responding to that particular statement thankfully, when Kiyoiri came back with Agasa and frowned. "Mou! You didn't eat any cookies at ALL!" The girl turned to Koji, hands on her hips. "Even you! I thought you liked chocolate!" Koji chose to ignore the two raised eyebrows sent his way, instead watching as Conan whispered something to Ai. He'd listen in but..

"Neh, Conan-kun, why don't you show Koji-kun the lab downstairs for next time?" Wait what?! He knew he agreed to some tests and such, but wasn't now a bit soon?

"Yea, ok. See you then, Haibara." Conan stood up, motioning over to a door in the hallway. "Over here." Oh come on, seriously..

A look of confusion fixed on his face, Koji hesitantly stood up, walking over to the basement door with Conan. "Ah.. Sure.. Sure thing, Megane.." When they got down the stairs however, he instantly turned to the boy with a scowl. "What the hell was that about?"

Conan simply shrugged, before taking a seat in Ai's usual chair. "Well, unless you want us to tell everyone you can turn into a tiger- Which, by the way, I don't completely understand still- I'm supposed to show you around for when Haibara decides to do some blood tests and such." He pulled his legs up, before looking over at Koji. "So... Care to explain to me again just how this 'DNATX' poison works? Without the cuts?"

Damn. Koji winced visibly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well what do you expect me to say, Megane? I can turn into a tiger, and it's not the best skill to have half the time."

"Then prove it." Conan stared from his location on the chair, while Koji simply frowned. Damn detectives wanting all the fucking answers... The smells down here were pissing him off too.

He threw off his shirt, startling the boy, before going behind one of the tables. "Fine. FINE. But if I do start trying to eat you, it's your own damn fault." Granted.. Technically, he'd found out that the tiger sub-species he 'was' wasn't the Bengal tiger, so he wouldn't actually try that if he was starved or whatever... But it was still good to mess with the brat while he could. (Watch, he'd probably tell him off for that as soon as he came out from behind the table..)

Koji crouched for a few seconds, before focusing. On the other side of the table in the meantime, Conan frowned with a slightly disgusted/confused expression. What he could hear were bones cracking, odd 'popping noises.. Accompanied by an especially interesting sliding noise. And he had no idea what was going on.. However, given that Koji's jeans had been thrown past the table moments before, Conan decided going back to watch would be a _very_ bad idea.

…......

Silence hit for a few seconds, before a light padding sound could be made out as a large paw came from around the table. Followed by Koji's head, and second paw... Conan gaped as a large white tiger did in fact come out from behind the table. There was another silent moment, before the boy propped a cheek on his hand and frowned. "......That's a Siberian Tiger- You're to big and furry to be a Bengal one."

Koji bared his teeth for a split second, before lying down on the ground and glaring. "**Somehow.. I just knew that would be the first thing out of your mouth, Megane...**" Watching Conan's face pale as a voice more similar to when Koji had been 'Gin' speak was rather amusing he had to say.. Yawning, the tiger lay his head down on his arms.

"Tch! Just letting you know.. ...By the way, what's with calling me 'Megane'? I understand you have memory problems, but you're getting Kiyoiri-chan and Haibara's names down fine!" He didn't seem too upset, but Conan was definitely annoyed about constantly being called 'four eyes'. Or at least he seemed to be with the tone Koji was using. (Other wise, maybe he really was just calling him 'glasses'.)

"**That's because I came up with Kiyoiri's name, and also because Sh- Haibara would likely strangle me if I didn't. Plus you wear glasses, it's easy to remember.**"

The boy on the chair narrowed his eyes, ignoring the comment on his glasses and focusing on the concept of Koji being afraid of Ai killing him. "And I'm less of a threat?"

Koji simply shrugged his shoulders, a movement barely visible from Conan's chair. "**You're less likely to **_**murder**_** someone, that's all.**"

"....Shut up..." Now that Conan thought about it, Ai _did_ seem particularly murderous at times.. "Tigers shouldn't be able to talk.."

"**Pbbt... Gahaahaa!**" As a roaring laugh came from the tiger's mouth, Conan scowled. They shouldn't be able to laugh either... And he definitely shouldn't be this happy...

"So, Kiyoiri, did you have fun with Hakase?" Ai and Kiyoiri sat beside each other on the couch, Agasa having just left to go start supper for himself and Ai. He had asked if Conan and the others were staying of course, but Kiyoiri had instantly said she had to be home before dark, while Ai simply said that Conan was going home soon.

Kiyoiri, nibbling on one of the extremely cold cookies, nodded vigorously. "Yea!!" She swallowed the cookie, smiling. "It was really nice of Agasa-jii to show me his gadgets and things too! I didn't know he made this!" The girl held up her badge to Ai, staring at it in awe. "Wuaaaah... …." She looked over at her new friend with a calmer glance, toning her voice down a bit. "In any case, thank you for inviting me over, A- Eh, Haibara."

Something about this girl was almost like Ayumi really- It was still a bit of a shock to Ai that the kid had killed multiple people without a second thought in fact, no matter how likely true it was. But then again, with what had happened before, it was quite possible she'd forced herself to become optimistic, rather than mourn the memories of the past. Still, it was so hard to believe, after watching her earlier that day with the other kids. "'Ai'-chan is fine, Kiyoiri-chan."

"Heeeh? Ah, o.. Ok! Ai-chan!" It was also hard to believe that she was a clone of Kudou-kun, Ai thought, as she talked with Kiyoiri about the day. While she knew for a fact that personality was not something you could duplicate, at least not completely, it was still a surprise to see the look alike acting so.. 'Un-Kudou' like.

Looking outside however, Ai realized there wasn't much time left before she and Koji would have to leave. It was time to get specific. "So, Kiyoiri-chan.. Where exactly do you live? It would be nice to visit sometime, if that isn't a problem."

Kiyoiri blanched, before furrowing her eyebrows in thought. "Ah... I don't think Kira would like that.. The house is really small, and she doesn't like being interrupted.."

"You live with Nguyen-san?"

The girl nodded, before suddenly going into amazingly precise detail. "Yea! There's a door to a cellar, and then you go down some steep stairs in a hallway that's about this wide," she motioned the distance with her hands, "Before you come into Kira-chan's 'lobby'. Kira-chan says she helps ghosts with their problems! And she keeps all her clients names on a candle on the table in front of the door- Ah... I'm rambling..."

Ai shook her head, smiling at this interesting discovery. Photographic memory, and if it wasn't that then it was simply a highly trained attention to detail. "It's fine, Kiyoiri-chan. Ah... This might take a while though. Maybe you could draw it..?" It was a long shot, but it would definitely help with clarifying where Kiyoiri was living.. So far Kira's house seemed quite unsafe, at least not for three people at once.

"Ok!" Kiyoiri grinned yet again, starting exactly from where she left off while sketching out lines on a pad of paper that Ai handed to her. "Ummm.. Next to the table is the couch where all of Kira-chan's clients can sit. Across from it is Kira-chan's chair, but you can't see it from either of the doors, because there's a bookshelf on both sides of it. If you go past them though, you'll see it and the coffee table though! After you pass them, there's a door to Kira-chan's room, where I've never been, and the door to Koji-kun's room and mine! See, right here.."

Watching as Kiyoiri sketched out the futons and the shelves, Ai blinked with mild surprise as she noted the girl was going into quite a bit of detail. Not in terms of measurements but.. "Koji's... Tiger?"

Kiyoiri nodded, innocent smile on her lips as she drew another arrow pointing to the shelf. "Yea! I gave it to him for Christmas!"

"Ah.. I see.." It was taking all she had not to burst out laughing now.. The feared assassin Gin, being given a cute stuffed tiger. "Kiyoiri-chan, isn't it about time for you to leave now?"

"Hm?" The girl looked out the window, before standing up from the couch with an expression that made it seem she'd just been electrocuted by the seat. "A-Ah!!! You're right! G-Gomen Ai-chan, I didn't mean to take all this time.."

Ai simply nodded, before standing up as well. "It's fine, it's fine.. But really, you should just go get home. I'll see you tomorrow, neh?"

"Hai!!!" Kiyoiri bowed her head quickly, before heading to the door just as Koji came up the stairs with Conan. "Koji-kun! We have to go now ok?~" Ignoring Koji's mutterings of 'pushy brats', she put her shoes on, Ai watching as Koji did the same while Conan walked back to the living room.

"Bye!!" The girl waved, before tugging Koji out the door and heading towards Kira's house, the two inside sitting down again as soon as they left.

After a few seconds, Conan spoke first. "....Who knew that Shindou-oji's old workplace was the organization, neh Haibara?"

"You would worry about that, wouldn't you? At this moment, I'm more upset with the fact that his daughter doesn't even realize he's alive. Not to mention just where they're living..." She frowned, fingers on her lips as she thought the conversation she'd had over.

Conan in the meantime simply nodded. "Kira's house, and in that area.... Though I guess this explains why my supposedly 48 year old cousin looks 16. ….Wasn't he due to visit today?"

Ai nodded, before turning to the door. "Hai. He should be here right about now in fact"

No sooner had Ai said this was there a knock at the door. How punctual.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Timing Is Everything**

_**Almost exactly one year ago...**_

-**brnnnnnng-** Kudou Yuusaku rolled slightly in his position next to his wife as the phone rang, a frown set on his face. Sitting up, the man took a look at the clock and the frown deepened. Who the hell was calling at 3 am?

-**brnnnng. Brnnnnnnnng-** "Unnng..." He slipped out of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked over to where the phone was located, staring at the 'caller ID' for a few seconds while letting it ring.

**-brrrnnng brrrrnnng- **Caller ID said 'unavailable', and then 'long distance'. Still, it could just be one of those editors...

-**brnnnng bzzt- 'The person you are attempting to call is currently unavailable,'** the answering machine spoke with a generic computerized woman's voice, the volume thankfully not waking Yuusaku's wife up. **'Please leave a message, or try your call at another time.'** Call screening was mean, but hey, if it _was_ an editor..

"_Ah, hello, Yuu-kun?_" Yuusaku jumped, grabbing the phone the instant he heard the voice, not catching the last portion of the speaker's statement.

"Sh-Shinichi? What are you doing calling, this could be tapped!" It was highly unlikely with all the trouble he'd gone through, but nonetheless.. His voice a harsh whisper, he sat down on the chair by the phone and continued. "Is something going on? If you need help, I can come right now, just-"

"_Ah.. Y-Yuu-kun?_" Yuusaku frowned as the one on the other end spoke again. 'Yuu-kun' was something only a few of his relatives ever called him... But if this wasn't his son, then why on earth did he sound like him? The speaker's voice took his attention again, surprising Yuusaku with another fact. "_Yuu-kun, it's me, Shindou!_"

"Shindou?" His cousin? But Shindou was older than he was, how was this possible? More importantly, he hadn't heard from him in almost 10 years, why was he suddenly calling now? "...Why do you sound so different, Shindou?" While Shindou may have kept the habit of nicknames, he had not. Only full names for now.

There seemed to be a pause on the other end, before Shindou's nervous laughter (Which still sounded uncannily like his son..) came over. "_Ahaaa.. Yes, about that..._

"_Well... I seem to have gotten into a bit of trouble.."_

Yuusaku had a very interesting morning after that sentence. Mainly due to the fact that not only was his second cousin out of a job and in need of a place to stay, but also because of what came after the sentence.

"_I seem to have literally lost about 40 years of my life..."_

This was the 'Conan' discovery all over again..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Conan had received a coded message from his father, he didn't quite know what to think really. The code was rather simple by his standards of course, but the message was a bit odd.

"'Would you be able to let my cousin stay at the house for a bit? He's run into a bit of trouble, and needs a place to stay for the next few weeks.' ….Do I know this person?" Frowning as he folded the phone up, he looked over at Ai, who was sitting next to him in the class.

"Perhaps it's someone who recently came back from another city? Most people don't stay connected to their cousins after they get older really, a sad thing that society appears to have been strengthening over the years. Even visiting grandparents is rare now." Ahahaha.. Conan deadpanned, mentally shaking his head. Always the optimist.

The boy got up as the bell rang for the end of school, shrugging as he collected his things and watched as Genta and Mistuhiko, who were deigned the task of clean up that day, went in the opposite direction for the broom. "Who knows- What I'm more curious about is the second part. It states that he'll look like I should... But why would my dad's cousin look that age?"

The answer was soon given when they reached 'Shinichi's' house. Sitting in front of the gate, staring at what was likely a small wallet sized photo, was the splitting image of both Conan and Conan's 'other half'. At least, from a distance. Coming closer, the rather surprised pair soon noted the tiny differences that would otherwise be ignored by any raving fan-girls. For one, the man's hair was black, and for another it was long enough to be tied back into a short, two inch long pony tail. More obvious however, was the fact that he wore glasses.

Forget looking like 'Shinichi', the man looked like his dad at that age! Coming up to the man and shaking his head, Conan stood beside him for a moment before speaking. "Ah... Would you be 'Shindou'-oji?" He watched as the man turned and nodded, before he froze up slightly.

"Sh-Shinichi??" Tch! Conan stiffened, cursing the fall on the way here that broke his glasses. Not only that but.. As a frown appeared on his face, another thought ran through his head, chilling him slightly. He sounded almost exactly like him. Or at least when he used the voice changer.. This was just creepy really... Shindou seemed to believe he'd made a mistake however, as he shook his head immediately. "No.. he's 17 now. Sorry about that. The last time I saw Yuu-kun's son was about 10 years ago.. You look exactly like him."

Conan simply smiled nervously, before nodding. "A-Ah. It's fine. I'm Edogawa Conan, nice to meet you." He turned towards Agasa's house, before looking back at Shindou. "Um.. If it's alright with you, can we talk inside the Hakase's house? Shinichi-niisan is already renting the house out to one person, and I don't think it'd be a good idea to disturb him..." He chose not to add that said person was making Ai a nervous wreck, and that it would probably be more comfortable inside Agasa's house at the moment anyways.

Shindou nodded, a genuine smile on his face. "That's quite alright. It's nice to meet you as well, Conan-kun. My name is Matsuda Shindou. Shindou is fine though, my last name just sounds formal really.." The man (He looked so much like a teenager though!) laughed quietly too himself, Conan smiling nervously below him before walking with him to Agasa's front door. "Ja, I'll knock then.."

**-knock knock-**

"I'm coming! Keh, keuh!" A loud coughing noise came from inside the house, and Shindou looked down at Conan with worry.

"Is he alright?"

Conan simply nodded, a deadpan stare turned to the door. "Yea... This happens a lot..."

"Ah, alright." A small silence settled, before the door was answered by the aged scientist, the man's face black with soot and ash.

"Sorry for the wait, one of my experiments- S-Shi..." Agasa's eyes widened, before he finally got the words out. "Shinichi? But how, I mean-" He looked down, spotting a rather annoyed Conan before coughing nervously. "Ah.. So sorry! You are...?"

Shindou laughed nervously as well, rubbing the back of his head. "It's fine.. I'm getting that a lot it seems.. I'm Shindou, Yuusaku's cousin. I believe we've met, Hiroshi-san." There was an awkward pause as Agasa stared quizzically, before Shindou quickly spoke again. "I.. I know I look different, Hiroshi-san, but I assure you, it's me!"

Agasa simply stared, shaking his head before opening the door enough to let the two outside in. "I.. I understand, though I must say, how did-"

"Accident. In the lab. Quite permanent I'm afraid, aha.." Shindou walked in quickly, Conan passing him as well before logging that statement tight in his mind. Shindou was a scientist of some sort then? But what kind of thing would cause an apparent loss of 30-40 years? Briefly, the thought of 'APTX' ran through his mind, and Conan stored that thought away as well- You never know after all.

Walking over to the living room and sitting down, Conan watched as Shindou took a seat across from the boy, coughing before he spoke again. "Ja... Conan-kun. Yuu-kun told me that you knew his son, but how? He's more than twice your age really.." The man laughed nervously, before Conan smoothly replied with the usual lie prepared for that particular question.

"Ah, well, my parents were clients of Shinichi-niisan... He's been away on a large case lately though." It worked better than telling an actual relative he was related to him really- Who knew what would happen if Shindou actually looked up his genealogy?

Shindou seemed to accept that response, nodding with a grin. "Ahh, so little Shin-chan became a detective then eh? He was always very observant..."

Conan could've sworn his eye twitched. Shin...Chan... Mentally shaking his head, he decided to laugh nervously in response instead, rubbing the back of his neck to add to the image. "Ahaha.. I don't think Shinichi-niisan really likes that name..."

The boy's cousin suddenly stopped grinning, his expression one of both surprise and severity "Ah, of course! It's just so easy to slip with that now... The last time I saw him was when he was about your age after all. You can see how easy it is for me to mix things up with someone who looks exactly like him!"

"Ahahahaa.. Y-Yea.." This conversation was going down hill... "Hmp!" Conan coughed, pulling out a second set of keys that he'd had made after his father had called him. "In any case, you wanted to know if you could stay at Shinichi-niisan's house right? At least until you could get an apartment?"

Shindou nodded. "Correct- The lab that I worked with for the past 10 years recently laid me off.. And it was required that I live 'on base' while there so to speak. It was so sudden, I couldn't find a place to stay!" The 'teen' decided to keep it short and sweet, hoping that Agasa and Conan didn't see through it. It shouldn't be too hard to fool Agasa with that, but the boy in front of him reminded him far too much of the little detective he'd seen 10 years before.. And one couldn't be too careful. "I heard there is someone else there as well though, is it alright with them?"

Conan simply held out the keys to Shindou, smiling. "Of course! I asked before hand. There shouldn't be any problems! If you need to talk to Shinichi-niisan about anything, just let me know alright?"

Another nod was received, the 'nodder' wondering briefly why he couldn't simply call Shinichi directly, but choosing not to ask. "I can't thank you or Shin-ch- I mean, Shinichi enough, Conan-kun." Shindou stood up, pocketing the keys and heading for the door. "In any case though, I should probably get settled, so I can find myself another job! Ahaha!" Leaving a deadpanning Conan behind ('S-Shin-chan.. He was going to say 'Shin-chan'...), Shindou left the house, walking next door to slowly get used to 'normal' life.

-_**clnk**_-

Back to April the 5th now.. Conan opened the door, looking up at a slightly surprised Shindou before holding it wide for him. "Ah, Shindou-nii!" Soon after they'd met, Conan had decided to call Shindou 'Shindou-nii', since it would be easier to cover up if he accidentally slipped with 'oji' instead. Though he was his (Or Shinichi's in any case) cousin, he'd had a habit of thinking him as an uncle due to his age... Not a good thing for someone who wasn't 'technically' related to the man. In any case. "You're here as well then?"

Shindou nodded, an answer that Conan and Ai were already sure of. "Correct. Hiroshi-san invited me for dinner with himself and Ai-kun." He looked over at Ai at this moment, giving the girl a small smile and watching as it was returned with a rather forced one. It seemed Ai would be giving him the could shoulder for a bit until she got over the fact that he too had been apart of the organization. "It's very nice to see you again too though, Conan-kun!" The man grinned, and Conan gave a small smile back. He barely got to see Shindou really- An odd thing considering he was in his own house.. But the man had supposedly found a job that took up most of his time, so it made sense really.. Though for a lab worker to move into electronics was odd...

Walking with Shindou into the living room as Ai left to help Agasa with supper, Conan decided to press him about that first, before going into things like Kiyoiri and Koji. Taking a seat, he started. "Ano, Shindou-nii, something has been bugging me for a while, can I ask you a few things?" He idly swung his legs off the edge of the couch continuing, Shindou having simply nodded with an approving smile. "You said you worked in a lab- But I was wondering what the job there was like. You don't talk about it much after all.." The last part was more to cover up why he was asking, but it worked nonetheless. Shindou at first blinked with surprise at the question, then calmed down to answer.

"Ahh.. Well, talking about it tends to bring up rather painful memories I'm afraid.. Where I was, it was almost it's own world it was so cut off really. I couldn't contact anyone outside, or even leave the building half the time." He laughed half heartedly, while Conan mentally added the fact to the list of things that proved this was 'the same' Shindou. The man continued however, pulling Conan out of these thoughts. "In the end... After the accident, I took full responsibility for the cause, and quit."

Wait... That was new. "You.. Quit? Demo, you said you were fired, Shindou-niisan..." Granted, being fired from the Org generally meant it by means of firing squad, but nonetheless.. You couldn't actually quit and get away with it properly.

Shindou blinked, before smiling sadly. "True, true... You could say I was 'willingly fired'. Ahahaa.." He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and then taking out two small pictures to show Conan. "Here- This is the reason why I left. The man on the right there... During the accident, he died."

The first picture seemed like a rather standard group photo really. In the center was Shindou (Quite visibly older, with a few greying hairs), with a brown haired woman around the same age next to him. Beside the woman was a dark-skinned teen (At least in appearance), with red hair, and way, WAY over at the edge of the picture, next to Shindou... Was Gin, who was clearly trying to avoid the photo at the time.

"Ja, that accident is the reason why you look so much younger?" Conan's voice sounded far too innocent and childlike to be innocent and childlike.. But Shindou still reacted as most adults did to Conan's voice. He blinked and gave an answer.

"Ah... Yes, it is actually. You really are quite like Shinichi, aren't you?" Conan laughed nervously at that comment, before pointing at the second photo.

"Neh, Shindou-nii, what is that picture of?"

Shindou blinked, before unfolding the second and holding it out. "That.. That would be my family Here, this is the other one. The woman, Tenshi, was my wife, but I'm afraid that they wouldn't let her leave with me.. Same with my daughter, Shinri." Shindou's eyes appeared to be welling up slightly, and Conan looked at the man nervously while apparently examining the photos.

"Hn, that girl is your daughter?" Conan pointed at 'Shinri', watching as the man nodded before putting the second part of his plan into play. "Then, maybe she left too!"

The reaction was instantaneous. "E-Ehhh!? Conan-kun, I don't see how that's possible, I mean.. Ah.." He was interrupted before he could think of another excuse.

"I saw someone like this at school! Her name was 'Matsuda, Kiyoiri', and she said she didn't have any parents." Take the bait take the bait take the-

He took it. "Matsuda.. Conan-kun, are you sure she looked like this?" Shindou seemed almost hesitant, as though he was having a joke pulled on him. But at the same time, the man (And now, Conan) also knew that the chances of finding more than two people who looked as similar to each other as clones were very low.. Watching Conan nod, Shindou looked down slightly before pocketing the pictures and standing up. "Conan-kun, do you know where this girl is staying? I'd.. At least like to make sure she isn't in any trouble, if she isn't living with any relatives.."

"Well, I know that she's staying with Kira-chan... Last I checked, she lives around here." From nowhere it seemed, Conan pulled out a small map and handed it to Shindou. "You should probably hurry though, or they'll both be asleep neh?"

Shindou nodded, already heading for the door and putting his shoes on. Looking over at Conan, he appeared to frown for a second before smiling. "Thank-you, Conan-kun." With that he opened the door and rushed out, shutting it behind him and running down the street.

As soon as the sound of the door closing was heard, Ai came back into the living room, taking a seat. This would work well... They needed to keep an eye on Kiyoiri and Koji, but not only was Kogoro's apartment too small (Not to mention the complaints there would be- From ALL parties involved), but sharing a house with those two was the worst possible plan for a safe future. If they stayed next door though...

Well, Conan seemed a bit disturbed at the thought when she'd brought it up after Koji had left, but it would work out fine really. Watching as Conan took a seat next to her, she cleared her throat before speaking. "So, I assume you told him about Koji then?" She hadn't heard everything that Conan and Shindou had been talking about, so just too make sure...

"No." The boy ignored Ai's quizzical look, simply smiling as he leaned back on the couch. Take that, Gin! Conan couldn't wait to see the bastard's reaction when he realized everything going on..

Though now that he thought about it, he should probably avoid him for a while... Conan's eyes widened at that thought however, and the boy paled. Shit... Maybe he should have warned Shindou about that part...

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"Hah, ah... Hah ah..." Shindou's steps came up and down in a steady pace as he ran towards the location given on his map, breathing harsh but still strong. It would take 40 minutes running to get there he'd decided.. At least at the speed he was going. If only he'd had some money for the subway... But then again, being squeezed in one with a bunch of strangers wasn't something he would enjoy. "Hah-ah, hah-ah..."

He'd been jogging for a while now... The pale lights from the street lamps were now the only thing illuminating the street, which was silent save for his laboured breathing and the occasional screech of a bat. Shindou blew hair away from his eyes and glasses again, the many strands having fallen out of the hair elastic long ago. Hah... Hah... Clean and neat homes belonging to the middle class slowly disappeared, being replaced by the older homes that were either rented out by students or simply left empty, unable to attract the attention of one who would buy it and thus a shell of a house in an empty street.

The man slowed down, turning down into a small alley driveway that led to a cellar entrance. Looking around at the street he was on and back down the alley, Shindou walked towards the door, swallowing nervously. This was the place... What a horrible place for her to live however. A feeling he had that greatly over powered this however was guilt, as the man reached forward to lift the door open. Shinri's 'release' date was in January, which meant that she'd been here for almost four months. And he hadn't even realized it. He'd even missed her birthday... Shindou had no time to think about this however, as the moment he lifted the door an inch, he was thrown back by 400 pounds of seriously pissed white tiger.

Shindou's glasses crunched as they fell to the side, a sound only rivaled by the crack of his left arm snapping under the pressure of the tiger's paw. This was nothing, however, compared to the shock that the man had when the beast spoke. "**Who sent you?**" A deep and rasping voice growled, the tiger holding its other paw up as though about to slap the man's face. "**And be warned, one wrong answer, you'll be breathing through your neck!**"

This voice.. Shindou could barely speak, the tiger's right paw having moved from his arm to his throat. But the voice, though warped by the throat of a being not made for speech seemed almost familiar.. "Gi...Gin...?"

The tiger drew back immediately, removing his paw and stepping away from the man before looking over at the glasses that had fallen off. Shindou in the meantime, stood up with difficulty, wincing as he held his dislocated shoulder in pain before clicking it back into place with a hiss. The pair looked at each other in silence, both simply staring as a second person exited the cellar door in confusion.

"Hmmm? Koji-kun, what's going on?" The two instantly looked over, the taller one's eyes widening with a myriad of indescribable emotions. Shindou's eyes began welling up, and he cautiously took a step towards the girl regardless of the tiger's warning growl.

"Shin.. Shinri?" As the girl's eyes widened with shock, Koji growled louder, though he did not make a move to come between the two. "Is it really.." Shindou's tears finally became too heavy for his eyes to support, streaming down his face freely as he dropped down and embraced the frozen girl. "My god.. my god, all this time... All this time I thought.." His little girl, even though it was not by natural means.. His little girl had escaped somehow...

Kiyoiri stood frozen for a few seconds, before finally looking up with sad confusion. "Tou-san?.." After a response that was unheard due to tears, the girl found herself crying as well. Returning the hug, she shut her eyes tight and silently wished that this was not a dream. It couldn't be... It just couldn't...

After a long moment of silence, Koji walked back towards the 'house'. It would be best to leave those two be, he decided. He could ask how Shindou survived and escaped later. Walking down into the hallway to change back however, he found himself running into Kira.

"Ah, Koji-kun. How convenient After you change, it would be best for you to pack up your things. You and your friends have caused quite a racket in my home, and I am unable to sleep." Well... that wasn't good. Moving to go past the girl (Very difficult in that room), he found himself turning as soon as Kira spoke again. "Not to mention the incredible number of cases I have had since you arrived here. Really, I am, for the first time, finding myself in need of a vacation... There are far too many spirits following you my friend."

Aside from the disturbing fact that she had addressed him as a friend.. Koji paled as much as white fur would allow, padding into the room he'd been using before shifting back to get dressed again. Aside from that, Kira's statement of spirits was just plain creepy...

He knew those candles meant something...

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When Koji had gotten outside and told Kiyoiri they had been kicked out, the girl seemed oddly happy. After she'd run in to get her things however, it became obvious as too why.

Koji's face was that of annoyance and thoughts of vengeance "...We're staying in Megane's old house then?" He now knew why today felt so horrible he decided. But looking at Shindou, he watched the man nod before opening his mouth to ask a question.

"....So, is it really you then, Gin?" Shindou's eyes seemed to be sympathetic, though in a strangely suspicious appearance due to the squinting that he was doing. Now that his glasses were smashed in, he could barely see the boy. "That other form, was that from-"

Koji shook his head before the man could ask, answering him instead. "That was from your wife poisoning me with something else you worked on. The only thing that vat did was this." It seemed to be an unspoken rule after those words that nothing more should be mentioned on that topic- However, as Koji turned to him, Shindou found himself briefly wondering what poison it was. And then the boy spoke again. "If you ever run away like that again, I swear to god I will go through with that threat I made- I should not be the only one stuck with an alias like this." Catching the confused look on Shindou's face, he continued. "Halloween... Christmas... I wasn't given a fair warning of these things, I really wasn't..."

When Kiyoiri came back with her things, she was very confused as to why Shindou was suddenly laughing, and not so much as to the reason that Koji was glaring at the man and telling him to 'shut up!' Koji was simply like that after all.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Kareoke... with Shinichi?**

When Koji, Kiyoiri, and Shindou had finally reached the house the latter was renting, it was thankfully not as late as they had expected. However, what was not late for Koji and Shindou, was very much so in Kiyoiri's case. Thankfully, the 10:00 bedtime did not seem to affect the girl in the least. Or so Koji hoped.

That morning was a rather eventful one in any case- Something that Koji wryly thought would be happening more often really. He had gotten up to shower only to find it was taken- By the other occupant of the house it seemed.

"Oh?" Okiya seemed genuinely surprised, but said nothing of it until he and the others were seated at the table for breakfast. Shindou had insisted on making pancakes, and after catching the grin on Kiyoiri's face, the others grudgingly complied. "Matsuda-san, is this the girl you were talking about before?"

Shindou simply nodded with a smile, before going back to the pancakes. "Kiyoiri. She's my daughter. The boy is Koji, my nephew." Shindou had caught on to the new names rather quickly- In fact, he'd told Kiyoiri that her new name was a wonderful and beautiful name that she should be very proud of. Koji thought this was just to make sure he didn't complain about anything, though why he would have to do that was beyond him. Okiya had taken that simple answer rather well thankfully, and it would later be revealed that Shinichi had already cleared it with him anyways. As Okiya had said- 'Who am I to separate a family? If it is fine with you, who owns the house, then it is fine with me.' The only catch was that they had to be quiet inside so he could study for his classes- Not a difficult task really. Not to say that Okiya was completely oblivious to the newest additions to the house. In fact, he seemed to have been staring at the scar from Akai's bullet for a while before Shindou drew Okiya's attention to the pancakes he'd made.

Although he had to admit, Koji thought as he walked to the school with Kiyoiri, the house was rather crowded now that they all moved in. Shindou had of course gotten a job and started saving up for his own apartment.. But how long would it take to find one with room for himself, Kiyoiri, AND Shindou? In a decent price range at least.. At this rate, Shindou would have to find a small house. Walking into the relatively empty class, he watched Kiyoiri take her seat before walking over and dumping his things by his desk. "I'll be right back, alright Kiyoiri?" Watching the girl nod, he headed outside to wait for Conan.

Had he looked behind him, he would have noticed Kiyoiri slipping something in said boy's desk...

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When class had begun, most of the students found themselves distracted by a certain pair of boys in the middle of the room. Koji had, since Conan entered the room, been glaring at the boy next to him, and said glare was being returned in full force. Ms. Jutte, who noticed this however, could only tell them to look at the board while she taught them their english and japanese, while praying that it didn't turn into a brawl she'd often seen her siblings take part in growing up.

While it thankfully didn't, the glares were still going on strong between glances at the board and worksheets by the time lunch had come. Though Koji leaving to take refuge in the same tree he'd sat by yesterday calmed them somewhat, a majority of the class figured that it would happen again after the break ended. Before Conan left however, he spotted a small bag in his desk.

"Hn?" The boy pulled it out, blinking as he read the note attached. This was Kiyoiri's handwriting, or at least amazingly similar to what he'd seen on the note's she'd written before. Reading the note as a quizzical expression formed on his face, he tipped the bag upside down and watched as a small wrapped red candy came out. It looked like one of the cheap dollar store sweets that people bought for piñatas really... Mentally shrugging, he unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth, grabbing his lunch and walking out with the note.

Speaking of the note... Scanning the note again, he frowned, swallowing the candy before paling Kiyoiri really needed to learn to word these correctly..

_'To Conan-kun. Sorry that Koji-kun's being such a jerk! He's normally like this, but not as bad as yesterday. _

_I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stay in Shinichi-niisan's house! It's really nice, and BIG! REAAAAALLY big! I got lost looking for the bathroom and found a library instead... There's a lot of mystery books there Conan-kun, did you know that? Anyways, I've put something in there to thank you for this.'_

Now, it was about that point that Conan had decided the candy was safe, and eaten it. (It wasn't as though it was some striped pill.) Unfortunately.. After reading the next part of the note, which was located on the other side of the page...

_'Make sure you don't eat it right away though! Okaa-san told me not to eat one of these unless I was in really big trouble- It's supposed to enhance someone's healing or something... I tried to eat one, but Koji-kun caught me and told me not to, before telling me that too! So make sure you don't either! Ja ne!'_

Conan made a mental note to have Ai do some tests when he came over to see how the tenants of his house were doing- This did not bode well...

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And neither did what happened after lunch. As yet another 'glare session' began (In reality, Conan only looked at Koji a few times during the day, as he wasn't the one pissed off at the other. But Koji had an odd way of not blinking... At all...), Ms. Jutte told the class that, to start their first science unit on prehistoric creatures, she would be partnering people up and assigning a research project. The woman put a list of creatures up on the board (Made mostly of creatures that the students could scarcely pronounce let alone know of), and then paired people up in the cheapest way possible.

All the desks were in rows of two. With this in mind, Ms. Jutte simply said 'the person next to you will be your partner!' Conan looked over at Koji with a nervous and clearly upset stare. Koji looked over at Conan and promptly frowned. Ai and Kiyoiri in the meantime looked at each other, blinked, and watched the pair in front of them before choosing what they would work on.

Before they could however, there was a clashing of desks and chairs as Conan and Koji both sprang up and ran to the front so as to be first in the line of students to choose from the list. Watching from behind, Ai winced. Good lord.. They were acting the age they appeared.. Looking around the now bickering pair, Ai and Kiyoiri soon agreed to do the 'Megalodon', after the former noticed how Kiyoiri reacted to the enormous and ancient shark.

Meanwhile, behind those two, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko were taking nervous glances at the other when they thought no one was looking. Their faces went deep red when they both turned to each other at the same time however, so when Mitsuhiko eventually broke their awkward silence by choosing to do their assignment on mammoths, Ayumi was more then happy to continue the conversation by arguing that 'Miohippus', the three toed descendant of the horse, looked much cuter.

There was no argument from the group that would come after them however- When Kira told Genta she wanted to do the project on the clawed bat 'Onychonycteris', Genta could disagree only as well as he could pronounce the name. Which wasn't very well.

By the end of the day however, Koji and Conan were both still arguing over what they would research. Koji, having gotten used to the inevitable link between himself and relatives in the cat family, wanted to do the 'Megantereon', the ancestor of the well known 'sabre-tooth tiger'. Conan however, after pointing out that the megantereon wasn't even related to the tiger, and was built more like a bear, insisted on what would likely be the more difficult beings on the list- The 'Argentavis Magnificens', AKA the Giant Teratorn. After mentioning that it was ironic that Conan would want to do a giant corpse eating bird, Koji ended up walking off to pack his things while Conan stayed behind to clean up the class.

And yet, as Koji walked out of the school building with Kiyoiri, the boy realized that who ever ran things on the planet really, really, disliked him. Either that or things had better turn around completely to make things amazingly hilarious so he could laugh at this later on. Walking through the school gate, Shindou smiled and waved at the pair before looking down to greet them.

"Otou-san!!" Kiyoiri ran over to meet the man, before pulling out something she'd done in school to ramble on about. Koji in the meantime tuned the girl's ramblings out- Had she been talking to him he would have had to listen, but so long as he wasn't involved in the conversation it was probably fine to just zone out for a little bit... Wait.. Where were Shindou's glasses?

After pointing this out, Shindou simply blinked, before laughing in his usual nervous fashion. "Ahahaha.. Yes, well, my glasses are still completely ruined, so I have to use my contacts until they're repaired... It's quite uncomfortable though, my eyes are stinging.." True enough, the man's eyes were in fact a bit red... Koji decided not to bother asking why he didn't have a spare set of glasses instead, as a voice from behind grabbed his attention.

"We're still doing the Teratorn, Hisoka." Ignoring the glare coming from Koji at that comment, Conan left things at that to look over at Shindou and Kiyoiri, who were now waiting for Koji to join them in order to leave. Damn.. Shindou really.. Really looked like himself without those glasses on. Shaking his head mentally, he started heading off past the three before spotting someone else at the gate. "R-Ran-neechan?"

She was as beautiful as ever... The constant reminder of why he didn't just give up on an antidote and live on as 'Conan'. "Hi, Conan-kun!" So sweet... She was so...

Conan mentally shook himself, before snapping his jaw shut and opening it again to speak. "Ah.. R-Ran-neechan, what are you doing here?" Didn't she have university classes??

"Ah, I have a small break, so I thought I'd visit." The smile was still as caring as it was the last time he'd seen it, and her voice was like the angels... And then suddenly it didn't sound so angelic anymore, as Ran spotted something behind Conan.

"Shinichi?!" Oh. Shit. Conan looked behind him to glance at Shindou, who had obviously not heard Ran and was still talking to his 'daughter'. Koji had however, and was already a fair distance away, in a tree. Best not to come between a woman and the source of anger. Conan looked from Shindou to Ran, paling as he watched her storm past towards him.

"Ah, Ran-neechan, that's not.. Ran-neechan!" He was being ignored. Shitshitshitshit-

"SHINICHI!" Shindou turned at last, before being knocked back by a rather well placed right hook. "I can't believe you! Showing up without even letting me know! Do you know how worried I've been?!" While Shindou looked up with confusion (Not to mention a cut lip.), Conan tried again, silently wishing he hadn't sworn off the temporary antidotes once they'd begun to only take effect for 24 minutes. After that, he had placed a 'last call' to Ran, telling her he was in to much danger to contact her anymore. Granted, this was partially true- They'd taken out a fair bit of the Org with the aid of the FBI, a few well known agents even being captured among them.

Of course, before he could say a thing, Korn had mysteriously died of a heart attack in the holding cell... But that was besides the point. "Ran-neechan, please listen!" Both he and Kiyoiri were now looking at the woman, the latter frozen in shock. After all the nice things that the others told her about this lady.. What was going on?

Again, Conan was ignored. Watching Shindou stand up with the same kicked puppy look he had after the punch, the boy mentally slapped his forehead when Shindou decided to speak. "Ah.. I'm.. I'm sorry miss, but..." He coughed, laughing more nervously than ever under Ran's imposing stare, "But I am not Shinichi. I.. I know I _look_ like him but, in all honesty, I'm actually his cousin."

"His cousin." Ran did not look pleased, and Conan knew why. This would have been the most bullshit excuse had it not been true. The woman was clenching her fists already, and one of her feet was shifting backwards to prepare a kick..

Shindou nodded, having missed the clear signals of violence seeping from Ran. "Once removed to be specific."

There was silence, and it seemed, for a split second, that Ran was shuddering. A silence that was broken by a rather loud scream on Kiyoiri's part as her father was subjected to a kick in the face. "Cousin once removed!?" Ran was livid. She stalked over to where Shindou had fallen from the kick, leaning over red faced with her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you trying to pull?!"

"Ah-Ahhh.." Lest he be subject to another kick, Shindou shuffled away backwards before standing up. "W-W-Wait, I can prove myself!"

This, thankfully, got Ran's attention. She crossed her arms, still frowning, while Conan and Shindou both had similar thoughts run through their heads. If Shindou tried saying that his hair wasn't the same length or colour, Ran would likely say that he either grew it out or dyed it. If he tried his ID, she could very well believe he'd faked it.

None of those were comparable to the sheer idiocy that would likely seem to come from the final decision that Shindou chose to make. "Ah... I believe, at least last time I saw him, that Shin-ch- Ah, Shinichi couldn't sing. Am I still correct?"

Ignoring the fact that Shindou had almost said 'Shin-chan' (Ran's eyes briefly widened..), she frowned. Then, nodding, Ran spoke. "Yes.. But how do I know that you aren't saying that simply because you know that's what we say, and that you still think you can for some reason?"

Conan frowned. He could so sing.. Shindou on the other hand seemed to be tempted to laugh again, but wisely chose not to. "Yes well.. As I said, I'm not.. Oh never mind. I can sing quite if you would find that proof enough! Ahahaa! Hah..." The laugh at the end stopped cold once Shindou caught the look Ran was sending him, before silencing himself.

Ran in the meantime seemed to study Shindou's face for a second, before a voice behind her cut in. "Ja, Ran-chan~ We should have him prove himself with Kareoke then!~" That.. Voice...

"S-Sonoko-neechan..." Conan sweat dropped as Sonoko, who had grown her hair out a bit since he'd last seen her, grinned down. It looked like more than one person had stopped by to visit.. However, the most he was able to do when Ran agreed was follow after the two women as they dragged Shindou off to who knows where, Koji, Kiyoiri, and Ai following after them.

Though had Conan paid attention, he would have realized that someone else came along as well...

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There they were. Sitting in a room at a kareoke bar, staring at each other. Or at least they did for a few seconds before Shindou walked over to the mike, and promptly asked what song he was supposed to sing. For some reason, Sonoko had taken over the song list that they chose, and was currently holding the book of song codes extremely tightly, only showing a few pages to Ran before giggling madly. As Conan looked nervously at Ran's friend, he mentally shook his head. Somethings never changed around here...

"Ok, '_Shindou',_" Ran emphasized Shindou's 'fake name', narrowing her eyes again before crossing her arms. "The song you're singing is 'Amazing Grace'."

Amazing- Conan deadpanned, half-lidded eyes catching Sonoko's usual 'romantic!~' grin. She would pick that one... Shindou however, seemed to be more than pleased to sing this song. "Amazing Grace? Ahhh... I had that playing at my wedding..." While Shindou had a look of nostalgia, Ran had a look of sheer fury. Conan tensed up in his position between Ran and Kiyoiri, the latter silently praying that Ran didn't beat up her father too badly.

The music began playing.. And then... A beautiful sound came out and replaced the seagull's screech that Ran had expected to come out.

"_Aaamaaaazing Graaace... How sweeeet the sound... Thaaat saved... Aaaa wretch... Like meeee....."_

Ran stared, her eyes like saucers as she turned to look over at Sonoko, who had a matching expression.

"_I oooonce... Was lost... But noooow... Am found.... Waaas blind... But nooow... I seee....."_

"Wuaaaah!!! Otou-san, Otou-san! You sing so well!!!" At Kiyoiri's voice, Ran and Sonoko looked over at the girl and blinked.

"She looks exactly like..." Ran looked between Kiyoiri and Shindou, before placing a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god! I could've broken his jaw or worse!" Conan wryly looked up at Ran, while thinking of what would have happened if 'Shinichi' had been injured by her onslaught earlier.

Sonoko in the meantime was narrowing her eyes at Shindou. "Hnn... Shinichi has too many relatives that look like him..." This was soon followed by 'But _man_ does he look good for an old man...', along with a rather incredulous look from Kiyoiri, Ran, and Conan.

"Oneechan! Otou-san isn't interested!"

Laughing rather oddly, Sonoko merely smirked at that comment. "Ahhh, now I didn't say that I was interested chibi-chan~ All I said was that he looked good~" Ignoring the frown and complaints Kiyoiri sent out at the words 'chibi-chan', Sonoko laughed again.

'Oi oi... Makoto won't be to happy about that...' Conan laughed nervously, before Shindou finished and stepped down, taking a seat beside his daughter with a smile.

"So? Did I do well?" It was a genuine question, but it was responded to with the same looks he'd gotten when he'd begun to sing.

Shaking her head, Ran eventually managed to speak. "That was.. Great, just great... Ah..." She coughed, before continuing. "I... I'm really, truly sorry about earlier, I.."

"Ahahaa... It's fine, really... I've been getting it a lot honestly, it's not a problem.." Shindou rubbed the back of his head, ignoring the deadpan stares he got from the others in the room. How optimistic... "In any case, shouldn't the children have a go as well?" His smile widened, and Shindou's gaze moved towards Koji.

Oh. Oh hell. Paling, Koji instantly drew back and shook his head. "N-No thanks!"

Recognizing the slightly fearful look on Koji's face, Sonoko smirked. "Oh? You want to go, Chibi-kun?" The woman flipped through the book much to Koji's annoyance, before entering a code into the machine. "Ja, then how about this one?~"

"No." Koji attempted to stay firm in his decision, but it seemed the others were set on hearing him sing. Soon enough, the boy was forced to the front by not only Kiyoiri, but, to the group's surprise-

"Ki-Kira-chan..." Paling, Koji scooted up to the front to get as far away from possible from the girl, said child smirking rather smugly.

"Why Koji-kun... If they wish for you to sing, why don't you?" Though her hat covered her eyes, Koji had a pretty bad feeling they were turned towards _him_ at the moment. "Just give it a try, I'm sure you aren't that bad..."

While Conan and Ai both looked over at Kira nervously, the rest of the room seemed oblivious to the girl's rather frightening atmosphere, and were now staring at Koji expectantly.

Goddammit... Looking over at the screen that was now flashing 'his' song, Koji sighed. Grabbing the mike as Sonoko and Kiyoiri cheered (Though it seemed more kind on Kiyoiri's part), he held it up and prepared himself for the inevitable. At least this was an english one... Though now that he thought about it, it was likely that everyone in the room spoke english quite fluently by now. Taking a deep breath, Koji began.

"_I used to ruuuule the world... Seas would rise when I gave the word..."_

As the rest of the day progressed and each of them went up at least once to sing (Kira doing an oddly well done 'Still Doll'), Koji couldn't help but think of how ironically accurate the song he'd sung was.

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At the end of the day it was revealed that Ran would be staying in Tokyo for about one more week before returning to Kyoto, reclaiming her old room at Kogoro and Conan's apartment/office for the time being. Before walking back home however, Conan told Ran he was going to stop by Ai's for a bit. Though this was mostly true (He had to get those tests done), he was also going to simply go over his own house. Now that there were four people living there.. He would have to keep a more careful eye on things really.

Going over the usual things such as electric bills and general care of the house while scanning around just in case some strange crime related things came up, as per Ai's request, Conan took a seat in the couch of his old living room. So far things were fine- Bills were thankfully covered by rental costs, while still giving him a profit somehow, but it was likely that he would begin to lose some of those profits once the added effects of two extra and 'underage' people came into play. Yet again there were no signs of suspicious behavior either, which was another good point to add to his list. Before he left however, Shindou asked him to speak with him in the kitchen about something, about what, he didn't know.

It was unlikely he expected it either. "Conan-kun... I was just wondering..." It seemed to be a simple question at first. Maybe there was something Shindou wanted to find, or maybe he just wanted to know if he was allowed to use the library. But instead... "...How many people know your real name?"

"W-What?"

Shindou pulled out another picture from his wallet, before placing it on the table in front of Conan. It was a family picture.. But not of Shindou's. There was Yuusaku, Yukiko, and in the centre, from 10 years ago... "I never forget a face. And I know for a fact that, while glasses can seriously alter a person's appearance, it only goes so far. In addition, I know by this point that what most consider impossible is, infarct, not. You are not 'Edogawa Conan', some relative of my cousin-in-law's. You're Kudou Shinichi."

Conan stiffened, before looking around nervously and turning to the man in front of him. "And... Lets say I _was_ Shinichi..." Shindou couldn't know for sure right now right? He was just going on appearance.. Just appearance.. "Would you have any proof?"

He shouldn't have said that. Shindou sighed, pocketing the picture again before speaking. "Well, for one, you have the same skills in observation as him. Same soccer ability, same interest in mystery novels, specifically Holmes. Same favorite book, same birthday, same favorite colour... Neither of you can sing, and yet, from what I saw earlier, you both have 'perfect pitch'. And the most important bit of evidence... 'Koji' cannot recall your name, even your alias. And while that would normally be an extraordinarily loose form of evidence, I'm sure you know yourself just how precise his mind can be about people he needs to forget."

"...." Conan swallowed, turning away with a nervous frown. That was, aside from the singing (He could sing! Dammit..) a pretty good anaylsis. He did have an oddly large amount of 'similarities' between himself and his 'other half' so to speak. It was times like this he'd regretted being so loose about those facts when he'd first become Conan. "You... ….Shindou-niisan, why are you..." This was bad though. Not only did he know, but this meant that Shindou already realized Conan's knowledge of the man's past work, possibly of Ai's as well...

Shindou tapped Conan's shoulder, smiling calmly. "In all honesty, Shinichi, I am just glad you are alive. For the past two years, I had thought that my work had taken a relative of mine, but now I've been proven wrong. Just realize that if you ever need help, I'm here." The man left it at that, leaving the room to head upstairs while Conan sat in the silent kitchen alone, thinking.

A few moments later, a confused yet partially relieved Conan left the house, soon after heading back to his apartment on a high-speed skateboard through the night.

All the while a glasses wearing man with squinting eyes watched from the second floor of the house, frowning as he jotted some notes down on a pad of paper. Someone needed to hear about this...


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Class Project Status... Failed**

It did not take long after the 'Kareoke' incident thankfully, before tuesday of next week arrived. However, Conan still had yet to solve the problem that was between himself and the annoyance/asshole 'Hisoka Koji'. It seemed that, no matter how many times the teacher, students, and even parental guardians intervened, neither of them could decide on what their project should be on. Conan thought that it was thursday that Ai and Kiyoiri both agreed that the argument was for the sake of arguing, but in his own opinion, he just didn't want to do the project on an ancient cat, whereas Koji just didn't want to do the assignment on a giant bird.

In any case, that afternoon after school, Conan found himself almost daydreaming on the walk back. His thoughts were drifting between the results of the many tests he'd had Ai run the week before (All negative for any strange and harmful things), to information on the 'Teratorn', to the Black Org. The day before, he and Koji both found out that they had both practically completed the assignment on their own- Now there was just the problem of deciding which one to present. "Nng...." Conan rubbed his head, following after Ai into the Hakase's house and taking off his shoes. Since earlier that day, he'd been feeling sick... Ms Jutte had asked if he needed to go to the nurse's station, but he turned down the offer. Now however, he was really regretting it.

"Conan-kun?"

Conan turned, half-lidded eyes looking at Ai. Koji and Kiyoiri would be arriving later so that the girls could work on their project, while he and Koji would likely argue a bit more on what topic they would do. But honestly, the boy thought blearily, he would have to be conscious for that. "Nm?"

Ai frowned, placing her bag to the side and placing a bare arm across Conan's forehead. The boy almost drew back from said arm, the action being something he was more used to Ran doing, but after a few seconds Ai drew the arm back with an even worse look on her face. "You have a fever... You should probably go rest if you plan to do anything later." She pointed upstairs, before heading over to the kitchen. "I can get you some soup for later, but for now go sleep in the spare room, alright Conan-kun?"

He nodded weakly. Normally he would have complained about all of this... He wasn't a kid or anything, she could have easily just gotten him a thermometer... But at least she wasn't sending him out.. Awfully nice really... Slowly walking upstairs and down the hall, Conan held his head again with a grimace of pain. What was with this... He had a fever and yet he was feeling way more pain than he should have with a simple sinus headache, or even a tens-

"Ungg!" He practically fell into the spare room before the pain doubled, before subsiding just as quickly as it came. The boy lay there for a few moments, before wearily getting up to change and lie down. What... What was that, he wondered, shutting the door and walking over to the bed before laying down on top of the covers. Headaches didn't just disappear like that, they normally faded, or at least got steadily better. In the semi-darkness of the small room, Conan found himself staring at his hand and going over the research he'd gathered on the 'Giant Teratorn'. Just basic stuff really, wingspan, related species-

Conan sat up immediately, staring at his hand in shock. Assumed feather colour... Black. He turned his hand over, scanning his palm. Was his skin turning.. Black? The boy stood up, staring at both of his hands and watching with numb shock as the 'blackness' spread down from his finger tips up his arms, before a sudden surge of pain in his hands drew his attention back to them. "Gah! Ha-haah..." His fingers.. His fingers looked like they were _melting_, the skin separating his fingers seemingly evaporating into nothing as the bones and muscles in them twisted and fused, Conan holding them close in a futile attempt to lessen the pain. What the hell was this... What was-

"Mmp!" Fingerless 'stumps', which looked almost like scythes by this point attempted to cover Conan's mouth, the boy bending over unwillingly as he ran his tongue around the back of his teeth.. Tooth.. What the heck?! The 'teeth' pushed forwards, past the 'hands' covering his mouth, Conan's eyes widening with a scarcely uncovered fear as what looked to be a beak formed from what his teeth once were. He could _feel_ his tongue lengthening, _hear_ his bones snapping, rearranging... He would have said something, called for help, but something told him he was not only beyond that, but that attempting to speak would make things even worse for him.

Skidding noises were made across the carpet as his feet slipped and grabbed at it, one of his toes shifting backwards to where the heel once was on each foot with excruciating pain, the other four growing and lengthening to form three scaly and clawed toes. His knees buckled, tearing noises from his boxers pierced his ears... Holes? Somewhere in the back of his mind as his head hit the ceiling before coming down again, he realized that there was something more than just his legs and arms by this point... The ceiling forced Conan to tip his head down, his eyes squeezed shut as he focused on blocking out the pain, the noises, the general feeling of horror he had... Something soft brushed against his head, and the boy/bird-thing opened one of his eyes nervously only to shut them slowly again. Feathers. He was covered in black feathers.

Opening his eyes again, he dimly realized that the pain was gone at least. At least aside from the incredibly uncomfortable feeling he had now that there were what was probably 26 plus feet of wings taking up most of the room...

This would have been so much more comfortable if he hadn't jumped on the thought that this thing was distantly related to both condors AND eagles he bet..

"_Help..._" He could barely speak with the room his beak (God that sounded weird) had, pushed against the door and his neck. But from what he could get from the hoarse whisper he'd managed to let out, his voice was more than affected by things.

_That was _MY_ voice. Shinichi's voice._ This was degrading.. Whoever it was that opened this door, he hoped that it was Agasa- He probably wouldn't be able to even look at Ai right now.

"...._help..."_

That was the first thing that Koji had heard when he'd entered Ai's house. His ears were constantly built like a cat's, honed to pin down any threats or noises that were of interest. And while normally a cry for help wouldn't really catch his attention, living in the murder district of Beika, a cry for help from upstairs did. Running past Ai, he headed upstairs without a second thought, ignoring Ai's surprised and rather annoyed exclamation of 'Where are you going?!'

Looking from Ai to the stairs where Koji disappeared, Kiyoiri's eyes widened. "Eh-Ehhhh... Gomen-ne, Ai-chan!! Koji-kun doesn't do this normally!!" The girl clapped her hands together and bowed her head at them, before a voice from behind followed after this.

"Really Kiyoiri-chan, I would have thought you and your cousin would stop by a bathroom before coming here." Turning to look at Kira, Kiyoiri blinked, looking over at Ai.

"W-Well.. It's true we didn't stop but... I don't think..."

Ai frowned mentally, but chose not to dwell on things for the moment. "It's fine- Come in, we can start setting up the presentation for next week." Walking inside as Kiyoiri happily began rambling about how she and her 'Tou-san' had bought bristol board over the weekend, Ai couldn't help but take a glance upstairs. The look on Koji's face before he'd run up there was a mix of curiosity, worry, and fear. Those were not the emotions of one who was trying to 'hold it'.

He had better explain once he got back down...

Of course, had Ai known why he was up there in the first place, it would be likely her target would be Conan instead. Opening the door to the room his ears had led him to, it took all Koji had to not reel back with a gasp. As it was, the shock was still clear enough on his face to be read by the large brown eyes staring at him from what looked to be a giant bird. After the initial shock was over (While Conan cursed his luck- 'Dammit... Koji opened the door...'), Koji simply shook his head and frowned.

"You fucking idiot." Conan blinked, mentally frowning as he drew his head back slightly. Koji moved forwards, looking the bird directly in the eye. "You ATE it. You _ate_ DNATX. You know, if it wasn't for the fact that I owe half of your relatives something, I'd cut your beak off while I could."

Conan blinked, before narrowing his eyes and stretching his neck out so that his imposing figure towered over Koji. "**And? At least it wasn't slipped into a drink- I don't see how you of all people would miss something like that with what you normally do!**" He was thinking oddly clearly for someone who was this far gone, Koji thought briefly as he looked up with uncaring eyes. But really, it looked like the wondrous things that were instinctual emotions were still affecting him. The boy flexed one of his hands, before lashing out quicker than the bird's eyes could detect to leave four deep gouge marks along his beak. "**Gh... What...**" For a few seconds at least. The gouge marks slowly reformed into a perfectly smooth piece of bone, not a single trace of the damage left over. Frightened eyes looked down at Koji, before Conan drew his head back with shut eyes. "**This... ….**" Healing, 'alternate DNA'... He was really in deep this time wasn't he?

-_sksst!_- "**Ow!**" Conan frowned with his eyes, glaring at the smirking tiger/boy in front of him while his beak slowly re-healed yet again. "**What the hell was that for,**" he hissed, angrily shuffling his wings as much as the room allowed him. "**You've already made your point!**"

"Actually, that was just for being an idiot. I should start calling you 'Megane-baka', eh Megane?"

Before Conan could respond to that, the two turned towards the stairs. Someone was coming.

"Koji-kun! You're taking a really long time, hurry up!" The footsteps kept coming, Koji and Conan looking at each other nervously before Koji swiftly turned to the stairs and called the girl off.

"Ah... I'm just getting Edogawa, ok Kiyoiri? Go make some tea for him, he doesn't look that good!"

Conan snorted, turning his head away. "**Understatement...**" Koji wisely chose to ignore that comment, instead waiting to see if Kiyoiri would take the bait.

"Tea? Ok! I'll go make some!"

A few seconds later, Ai's angry call came from the kitchen. "Hn? Hisoka-kun! What gives you the right to have someone start cooking without my permission here?!"

The pair sweatdropping, Koji sighed, running his fingers through his hair before looking back at Conan. "Geeze Megane, you really screwed yourself over there... You know, if you'd just gone with the Megantereon..."

"**I would have ended up as a cat. That's not much better than this in my opinion.**" Conan's eyes narrowed, before the bird continued. "**If you could tell me how to reverse this now...**"

Koji smirked, taking a seat opposite the door instead. "Well, actually, that's a pretty good look for you. Dark. I think I'll leave you like this for a while." Honestly, he wasn't about to go revealing things he'd already told him. It was the brat's own damn fault that he was so caught up with being a bird that he'd forgotten the description Koji had given on the poison last week. "Of course.. It doesn't really take that long to make tea, so you'd better move it, Megane-baka..."

"**.....**" Conan's eyes narrowed farther. Oh what he wouldn't give to have hands right now. Maybe he could strangle Koji or something, wasn't as though he didn't know how to hide- WOAH. The bird mentally shook his head. He should not be thinking about that. He shouldn't. Especially since, at the moment, the scavenger stomach of the Teratorn was extremely pleased whenever he thought of dead bodies. Still. Glaring down across the hall, Conan shut his eyes. It would still be nice to have arms... Especially if they were proper size, like the rest of his body was.

He wiggled his fingers, clenching and unclenching his fists before opening his eyes with a start. Fingers? Falling forward, Conan threw his arms in front of him as his body shrank back to eight year old size rapidly, feathers disappearing and the beak becoming teeth again. "Ommph!" Groaning, Conan opened his eyes and looked beside him at his hand. He was.. Himself again. So just thinking it did that?

Koji meanwhile just frowned. "Nice. You're you. Please move now. Before someone sees-" A noise from beside them took Koji's attention, and the boy paled.

"My my... Who knew that you two turned that way..." Kira smirked, standing at the end of the hallway as both Koji and Conan flushed and turned from the girl to each other.

Being a teratorn for a few moments meant no clothes... And Conan had landed right on top of..".... G-Get away from me!" Conan jerked back, face red with embarrassment as he clumsily fell backwards into the spare room.

"I could say the same for you, Megane-baka!" Koji drew back as far as he could as well, face a deep crimson before he stalked off for the stairs. "We'll talk later!" With that he rushed past Kira, eager to get some tea and just forget about whatever happened upstairs.

Kira in the meantime turned towards Conan with a rather disturbing look. Had it not been for the hat, he probably would have called her a pervert but.. Really, she could probably see WITH that hat on, regardless of her being blind or not. "Well, I shall see you downstairs, Conan-kun. Though I am quite pleased to see you are well again." With a look that had probably been accompanied by a wink, Kira headed off, leaving a flushed Conan to put his clothes back on.

Geeze... What was it about him and fevers that resulted in him ending up in bizarre situations like this... Well, at least Koji would be pleased to know he would rather do the project on the megantereon now- As if he could present the Teratorn after that...

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The next day during school, Conan was passed a note underneath his desk. Flipping it open when the teacher wasn't looking, he frowned before glaring at Koji. "Any reason why you couldn't have just said this?" They were right beside each other, god..

The boy returned the icey stare, before crossing his arms. "Well, no, but it does tend to draw far less attention than arguing about it out loud." Koji had gotten far more sarcastic as of late- Maybe it had to do with the fact that they were both now the only people who would probably live if they were shot point blank in the head and heart. At least aside from whoever else took the poison, but Conan didn't know who that was. In any case, he hadn't fully 'recovered' from the day before so to speak, and seemed to be more than content with taking it out on him.

Sighing as the lunch bell rang, Conan stood up and grabbed his food before heading out the door and over to the large oak tree that seemed to almost belong to Koji as of late. None of the other children seemed to want to hang around it it seemed, and Koji was more than happy to see it stay that way. Less disturbances, and more time to keep an eye out on things. He could have sworn he'd seen the glare of a sniping scope lens the other day, but in the end that turned out to be the reflection from a window far off- Maybe he was getting paranoid...

In any case, reaching the tree and heading around it, Conan heard a light whispered 'psst!' noise before looking up. Koji. In a tree. That had no branches close to the ground. This explained the claw marks... Frowning, he looked around to make sure no one was listening before he spoke. "What are you doing up there?"

"What does it look like, Megane?" A clawed hand reached down for Conan to grab, the boy hesitantly obliging before being tugged upwards rather roughly into the canopy of oak leaves. "I'm making things more private. Bet you now that Kojima over there can't hear a thing." Koji jabbed a thumb behind him, and Conan looked over in its direction. Sure enough, there was Genta, taking multiple obvious glances at the tree behind him. "In any case, I figured that, unless I wanted you drawing unnecessary attention to me-"

Conan deadpanned. "It's nice to see you care so much Hisoka."

"Shut up Megane, and let me finish. I figured I should give you a better idea of how that poison works." Ignoring Conan's now attentive look, Koji mentally rolled his eyes. This guy was really immature sometimes, god... "First thing's first. You picture the bird hard enough, you'll end up one, and if you picture you, you'll stay you. Certain things will trigger the bird to 'focus' harder though, so keep your head clear around dead bodies." Before Conan could argue that this was probably when his head was clearest (Having your thoughts elsewhere was not good for solving crimes), Koji continued. "Second. I told you earlier that this was the closest thing to immortality and 'life after death' that the Org ever came up with. And I told you that that was because of the instant regenerative abilities. But that's not the only thing."

A frown. Both boys had a frown one their faces, one set with confusion, the other with nervousness. Before Conan could question as two what other thing Koji was talking about however, he realized what he was getting at. "Thats..."

"Complete immortality- Agelessness."

Conan swallowed. This didn't feel right somehow... He turned his head down, staring at the branches of the tree in thought. If this so called 'poison' created an immunity to viruses and poisons because of the natural recovery from such things, then how was it that he and Koji were both still '8'? More disturbing in thought though, was the fact that if he was still small, then would an antidote... "So then, any chances of turning back into 'Shinichi' are..."

He should have known the answer before Koji said it. But watching the one that did this to him frown before finally remembering who Shinichi was, and then say it out loud just made him deny it even more. "Zero. Any cure you take would be seen as a threat to the body and eliminated instantly. We'll be lucky enough to reach our late teens _naturally_ in terms of age thanks to that poison, let along jump ahead by chemical means."

He couldn't be Shinichi again. He couldn't call his parents his parents. He couldn't get rid of these damn glasses... And he would never be able to know her the way he once had...

Ran...

Before Koji could say anything more, Conan jumped down from the tree and rushed back into the school building, where he sat in his desk silently for the rest of the school day.

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After school, Ai had told him she had something for him. She'd been taking glances at him all day he'd noted, mostly unreadable as they normally were, but for some reason he could detect worry at the same time. Worry and.. Something else that he still couldn't quite grasp. Maybe it had something to do with animals being able to 'sense' emotions. It made sense now that he thought about it really- Humans could speak, and show emotions of a wide scale using their faces. Other animals, most anyways, could not. They had to rely on body language, and that was something that humans had to focus very hard to hide. And even if they hid the more identifiable movements, the subtle ones were always there...

When he entered the house and went down into Ai's lab however, Conan had a sinking feeling in his chest. As the girl handed him a pill, she told him it was an 'early birthday present'. She didn't know how long it would last exactly, but it should last long enough for him to spend time with Ran before she left, or so Ai said.

'_If it works...'_ That was the nagging thought running through his head as he sat upstairs, a glass of water beside him and the pill in his hand. He was wrapped up in a blanket at the moment, so that when- if- it worked, he wouldn't end up with ruined clothes, not to mention sore.. Everything. Holding the pill up with shaky fingers, he closed his eyes before popping it in and taking a swig of water. Swallow... Wait...

One minute...

5 minutes...

Ten... Fifteen... Conan opened his eyes from where he was lying on the bed, the blanket wrapped around him to form a sort of thick, cushioned cocoon. Nothing was happening. He held his hand out in front of him, as if expecting it to suddenly start searing with the same burning pain he would have had if it did work.

But nothing was happening. Unwrapping the blanket, he slipped off the bed and put his clothes back on, downing the rest of the water before holding his head in one of his hands. One choice. That was all it normally took for things to go down hill, wasn't it.

If he'd flipped that note over, he would never have taken the poison that prevented this antidote from working.

If he'd been just a bit faster, Miyano Akemi wouldn't have died.

If he'd just realized what Asou Seiji was planning to do in the end, he could have stopped the suicide.

If he'd only stayed with Ran that night, instead of running off after Gin and Vodka....

Opening the door and walking out into the hall, Conan shakily walked towards the stairs. Halfway down, he'd attracted the attention of Ai.

"Kudo-kun? The antidote should have taken effect by now..." She frowned, but to Conan's shock and confusion, she seemed to almost be.. Happy? "Did you decide not to take it?" Why would she be glad he didn't take it? Then again, aside from himself, the only other people who weren't really 8 or younger in the classroom was the teacher and Koji... He wouldn't want to be stuck in that situation either really, but still... Of course, there was the other option- Maybe she never really was 'just kidding'. He shook that thought out of his head though, mentally frowning. That couldn't be right- Must be something else...

Conan swallowed, before nervously coming down the rest of the way and taking a seat next to Ai. "I..." How to say this... "It didn't work."

Shock. Confusion. And annoyance. "What?" Ai held a finger to her chin, eyebrows furrowed as she went over the formulas in her head. "Strange.. I could have sworn I had the formula worked out..." This gained a wince from Conan, Ai turning with a frown. ".....Kudo-kun?"

"...It wasn't the formula."

More confusion. And a hint of anger. "Not the formula? And how would you know this? I don't remember even mentioning the antidote until today, so unless you managed to somehow get all of the data for that pill by swallowing it, I doubt you would know. I will just go back to work on it tomorrow, Kudo-kun. At least I have some more data to enter." She smirked. Sadness? And happiness at the same time... This was confusion, Conan thought, but he had to say something.

"It has nothing to do with the formula." He held out his hand, staring at it. Ai looked as well, her friend's voice just a bit too monotone and devoid of emotion for her liking. But after staring a few seconds, Ai's eyes widened with shock.

Fear. Contemplation. Realization.

There were black feathers covering Conan's hand, and they were definitely real. Sadness. "Baka..." Ai stood, her face pale and her fists clenched and shaking before running to the lab downstairs. "Baka!" She shut the door behind her, and Conan was left in the room to stare at the ceiling as the feathers shrank back into his skin, disappearing into nothing but the nearly invisible hairs that normally covered the skin of humans. Sadness. The last feeling was sadness... And that strange one he still had yet to identify. But for some reason, as he got himself up from the chair to leave, he found himself uncharacteristically morose rather than curious again. Baka.. She'd called him stupid, he thought, walking out the door before heading off on his skateboard and staring at the sky above.

The sad part was, he probably was one.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: The Death of a Friend**

When he'd gotten home, Ran noted instantly that something was wrong. She'd asked him of course, but he didn't say anything. He simply trudged off to the storage room he'd been sleeping in for the past year and a half, taking a seat on one of the boxes in the darkness. He sat there for a while, just staring at the ceiling as the digital clock in the corner slowly moved from 3:00 to 4:00... 5...

"Conan-kun? Ai-chan is on the phone, she wants to talk to you!" Ran's voice came outside, and Conan stood up, before simply taking a seat on the floor again. Did he want to speak to her right now? Looking at the door, he tried picturing what she would say. Probably information on the poison.. He briefly imagined her voice, the tone flat with a hint of annoyance like it would be whenever he asked how she was doing with antidotes.

Not that he would need them anymore...

Eventually, he heard Ran telling Ai that he was asleep- She wasn't getting an answer, and since he normally jumped for a conversation with someone who actually knew him, he supposed that was a good assumption to make, at least on Ran's part.

Ran...

Something in the back of his mind stirred, forcing his eyes to move along the celling until they found the small window that was allowing light into the room. The window faced an extremely narrow alley, and because of the time it was it was draped in the shadow of the other buildings. Slowly standing, he walked over and opened it, sticking his head out and looking upwards. A soft breeze blew by, and the boy leaned himself on his arms as he continued to look skywards. It felt.. Calming really, the wind. If he could just jump out now, just fly along on that-

Conan shook his head, jumping down from the window and frowning. So that was what Koji had meant, when he said the 'other half' would try and take over. He meant by instinctual means. But at the same time... Conan lay back on his futon, looking at the ceiling for a bit before turning back to the window. He didn't think he could go back out of the room right now, not after supposedly being fast asleep... But at the same time, just sitting here was practically killing him...

The boy found himself back at the window, this time mentally measuring the distance between his window and the roof. He could probably make that... Not on his own, but if he used a rope or something... Hopping back down to the floor of his 'room' with a thump, he searched around in his box of gadgets for the elasticized suspenders he'd stored in there long ago. It had been a while, he thought to himself, since he had to use these. He hoped they still worked. Leaning out the window, he threw on end upwards, only to watch it sail back down past his head. He threw again. It didn't make it. Again, this time hitting the railing of the roof. Gritting his teeth, Conan tossed the end one more time, silently cheering as it fell over the other side.

And then he realized there was a problem. The suspenders were only so long really- And they were not long enough for him to use in order to get to the roof. Scowling, he went back inside, tossing the suspenders into his box and sitting down on the futon. It looked like he couldn't get up there, at least not without going through the stairs... Which would involve leaving the room... Lying back down, he crossed his arms in thought. It was kind of weird, feeling this persistant about _flying_ of all things, but he supposed he was the same way when he was after a suspect in his cases. Then again...

What was he going to do when he got up there? Fly around as a giant, 26 foot wide bird? As if that wouldn't attract attention... If there was a way to fix that, then hell, he could probably fly out the window instead!

"Wait..." Speaking of size, how did Koji handle that? Twice the day before he'd slashed his beak (God it felt weird saying that), almost breaking through.. But tiger's claws couldn't do that under normal circumstances. And besides that, Koji's arm was about half the size of a tiger's fore arm, at least the one that he had in that form. But, if he had somehow done this anyways...

Compression. Koji had unconsciously altered the DNA to such an extent that his own size forced the changes into a compressed form. His hands, his fingers.. His claws had been able to do the damage they had because they were simply compressed versions of the claws he had as a tiger. If Koji could compress his hand to that extent...

Conan closed his eyes and sat up, before making his decision. First, he locked his door. Wouldn't do for anyone to come in while he was doing this after all... Taking off his clothes again, he sat back down on the futon and focused. Koji had mentioned that the 'other half' was triggered by either instinct or thought. So maybe if he focused enough, he could compress the entire form he had... If that worked, he could be passed off as a rare view of a vulture, or an eagle. But if it didn't...

He didn't think of that, instead picturing his arms fingerless, feathered and more importantly _small_. He focused on what needed to be changed, not what was changing, but even then what was happening still felt strange. Smaller... His knees fused with the rest of the body as it became more bird-like, Conan standing on his toes now. Don't lose focus now... A beak jutted out from between his lips, while a feathery tail sprouted to finish the change. Opening brown eyes, Conan took a wary look around.

It worked... He thought. Moving a wing cautiously, everything seemed in order... He did feel a _bit_ smaller, which was good considering that most vultures and eagles weren't the size of eight year old children, no matter how short. Silently taking a step forwards on his toes, he looked over at the window. It would probably be best to do a 'test flight' before jumping out the window really. Stretching his wings experimentally however, he briefly wondered just how to do that.

"**Um**..." A thought came up from the back of his head, and Conan mentally nodded. Ah... That was right. Instinct. Just let the 'other half' do it for him... Wings flapped before his legs moved on their own accord, pushing off the ground and allowing him to jump out the window and into the air. A steady beat of wings pushing the air lasted for a split second, before Conan found himself soaring on the breeze he'd felt a few moments before.

"**.....This...**" The sky was beautiful, the sun sending various shades of violets, reds, and oranges across the horizon as it set. So beautiful, he thought, flapping his wings again. He was more than just 'flying' now, in fact, within seconds, he was meters above the apartment. And yet he could see the people below clearly, he could hear them clearly-

"Ah, Ai-chan? I'm sorry, no. He's still asleep..." Ran. Conan shut his eyes, pushing the air down to rise higher into the sky. What was he going to do now, he thought, looking up at the clouds as he idly flew in circles before eventually sailing off in whatever direction his 'other half' was sending him in. Would he keep living this double life, to comfort her? Would he come up with a lie that was even worse than that? Would he tell her the truth? The last thought gained a scoff from the 'boy', an odd sound to be heard by the sparrows below. The truth? And then what? Pray she waited, have her leave the life she was in behind, for him?

Maybe he really was selfish, and stupid. Ran was in University. She was going to become a forensics scientist ironically, choosing to deviate from her parents roles only to a small extent. But when she looked to him as a younger brother, he himself simply looked back and wished desperately for that one truth to fix everything. But it wouldn't.

He loved her. That much was true, he thought as he landed on the sill of his window. But staring down at the ground before watching a tear drop from his eye, he realized that continuing on this path, this reckless trail of lies and disguises... He would have to create one final one, and while it hurt to think, to say it, it was probably the best way for Ran to ever go back to a 'normal' life like she supposedly had at this moment. Hopping back inside to turn back, there was only one thing on his mind.

The identity of 'Kudo Shinichi'.... Would have to die.

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The plan was made the next day, after explaining things to Agasa and his parents. The story was that he had realized coming back so late would only cause problems- He'd missed two years of high school, and while he could easily start a career as a detective without that, he couldn't come back until the Black Org was finished. And when would it be finished, he wondered briefly as he sat at the top of the red building, holding his phone in one hand and a gun in the other. Just when would he have been allowed to return to normalcy? Hindsight was 20/20 they said, and this was no exception. It would have been the 'Raven Chaser' incident all over again. Everyone he knew would be found and killed. And now, because of that poison, he'd probably have lived through it all even if the antidote _had_ somehow worked.

He got their support. He had been surprised of course, but after a few seconds, he didn't feel as shocked. It was something he was doing unconsciously now, something he'd decided to do when he saw Koji sending him a look that said 'What the hell did you do?' the next morning. Ai had come in acting more sullen and pessimistic than ever, and not only had Koji noticed it, but Kiyoiri, Kira, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, and Genta had as well. The three Shonen Tantei were all asking what was wrong, or at least Ayumi did when she'd gotten the courage to, along with Kiyoiri, while Kira simply sat in her back row and frowned, her silent gaze fixed on Conan. And the glasses wearing boy could tell what all of them were feeling. It was sneaky, dishonest, and if he'd been told he'd be able to do this two years before he probably would have felt disgusted, but at the moment...

Maybe it was his 'other half' doing this, but at the moment he really cared less about that...

Ayumi was worried of course. So was Mitsuhiko, who was occasionally looking at Ayumi during the class with the same strange feeling he'd gotten from Ai. Genta was hungry, angry at Conan who he'd managed to link to the problem (Conan made a mental note to avoid him for the rest of the week), and also upset. Kiyoiri _seemed_ worried. But for some reason, he kept getting strange, half and half feelings from her. As though there were two people there.

'Bipolar?' He wondered to himself, as another wave came from the girl behind him. One half was worried about Ai, happy for Ms. Jutte's colleague (Ms. Kobayashi would soon be a 'Mrs. Shiratori' it seemed.), while the other was just... Disgusting. The first wave that hit him, it took all Conan had not to ask to call for the police.

Blood lust. Hatred. Sadism. Murderousness. Just a handful of what he was reading before he finally 'shut off' the window for Kiyoiri all together, staring at the front with determination before a frown from Koji caught his attention.

Conan had expected hatred, or at least annoyance to be aimed at him that day. Instead it was worry, and loyalty. And it scared the hell out of him.

Now however, at the top of the tower he'd chosen for his 'death', Conan shook his head. He needed to stop dwelling on things. He hadn't let it get the best of him in the 'Triple K' case two years ago, but at that time he'd had Hattori Heiji to snap him out of it. Now he had no one. He couldn't talk to Heiji about this, and Ai was certainly out of the question. He'd be damned if he went to Koji for advice too. So, flipping his cell phone open, he took a breath before setting the gun down and pulling his voice changer from his pocket.

He hated it, lying. And yet now, and for the rest of his life, that was what he would hide with. A lie. Sure, he'd still act 'amazingly like Shinichi', and look the same, speak the same... But now that he thought about it, how much of Conan _was_ a lie? How many people did _Conan_ know, that he affected and got to know. What would happen if Conan 'died' as well?

He would never know now really. Kicking off his shoes, Conan put the first part of his plan into action. He had thought long and hard after getting back into the storage room and unlocking the door, and even more after eating supper with Ran. After clearing his head outside, he'd managed to get a hold of himself. Ran would be here until monday the next week. It was wednesday now. So he had to 'die' today, in order for a funeral to not interrupt her studies. She would probably not be able to study for a while afterwards anyways of course... Looking down at the streets below, he wished that that wouldn't be a result of this, but it was one of the reasons why he had loved her so much really... Focusing on his feet for a few moments, he watched them lengthen, his toes following suit as claws developed before he stopped. Grabbing the voice changing tie with his feet, he held it up to his mouth and tested.

"**Ichi.. Nii... San...**" It worked. The boy sighed, before grabbing the phone. What would he say, when he finally 'died'? It would be hard, wouldn't it... Shaking his head, he picked up the cell with one hand and the gun with the other. He pushed the speed-dial number for Ran's cell ('Shinichi' didn't know she wasn't at university after all), and waited for her to pick up. The ID wouldn't say it was his phone this time. Agasa had made sure of that. As far as Ran knew, he was calling from an unknown location in the US.

-_bzzt! Click-_ "_Moshi moshi?"_

"**Ran.**"

There was a pause on the other end, before the woman's teary voice came over the phone. "_Shi... Shinichi?_ _Shinichi! Where are you? Are you alright? Why aren't you using your ce-_" He chose that time to cut her off, speaking shakily as he frowned. There was one thing he didn't have to fake. Nervousness...

"**I don't have much time Ran... They gave me one last call.**"

She froze in her apartment, and Conan knew it. After a few seconds, Ran's shaky voice came through the phone thought, and the boy found himself almost chocking on his words to respond.

"_What.. What do you mean one last call? Shinichi, you can't-_"

"**They got me Ran. They captured me and if I don't die here then everyone else will as well...**" It was hard... But which one was harder? Telling her this, or knowing that it was all a lie? "**Ran...**"

"_Shi-Shinichi? Shinichi, don't-!_"

In the end, he couldn't say it now either. "**Good bye, Ran.**" It hurt too much.

-_**BOOM**_-

Firing the gun into the empty air above, the sound was lost to those below the empty Tokyo tower amidst the cars and shouts that they themselves created. In the apartment where Ran had been sitting however, screams filled the sky, as the phone sent out a dead tone, Conan's own cell having turned off shortly after the gunshot. It was over, Conan thought, staring down at the city below before grabbing the bag he'd had on and stuffing his shoes and things into it. It was over...

A few tears fell, and moments later, had people been looking up into the night sky, they would have seen a large black bird flying through the air, clutching a backpack in its talons. But no one did. And, letting the tears that rarely made themselves known fall, Conan was glad for that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It made the news the next day. But not in the way that it had been presented to Ran the night before, as the once teacher, now known FBI agent told Ran that morning when she came in. To Ran and a select few others, Shinichi died because he was captured by a covert organization that he'd been spending more than two years going after. To the rest of the world, he'd been confirmed dead after being missing for almost two years.

Had the situation not been so depressing, Conan probably would have wondered what would end up happening once Heiji realized what happened. Instead, walking home from school, he stared at the already broadcasting news story about his death with sad eyes, everyone else walking past him with similar feelings.

Worry. Sadness. Mourning. From Ai, the same feeling again in addition to all of this. Turning around however, Conan felt another one that made him want to run and hide for some reason.

It was coming from Koji. Conan decided he'd call this emotion 'plotting'. Frowning slightly, he soon knew why however. Koji walked over until he was directly in front of Conan, simply staring for a few minutes before looking at the T.V. in the window of the store they stood in front of. "So... You died then, neh?"

He didn't know why he did it, looking back. The 'old' Conan, as well as Shinichi wouldn't have done it he thought- Or would he? Conan didn't think about it though, like his 'older selves' would have. He simply reacted.

-_crack-_ Koji's jaw fractured with the impact of Conan's fist, the boy blinking as he reset his jaw and frowned. Looking at the one who punched him however, there was a ghost of a smile before Conan found himself dodging a punch as well. "Heh, just an innocent question, Megane!" Conan glared in response to that, his eyes showing more emotion than they had for the last two days now. Throwing a kick, he watched as Koji barely dodged before slashing a few strands of his hair. Those claws.. They just missed his eyes...

Before Conan could go after Koji again however, a voice cut in. "Stop it!!"

The pair turned, Conan wiping a bit of blood off his already healed split lip and Koji simply blinking. Looking at Kiyoiri, who has been behind Koji the entire time, the boys apologized before heading off again. Somehow, Conan thought, he felt a bit better now...

Frowning as Koji passed him again, Conan recognized that 'plotting' emotion still there, along with an odd feeling of achievement. Of what, he was a bit afraid to find out really... But in a few minutes, he was pulled aside into his- Shinichi's- house anyways, and dragged into a room that was familiar to him only by accidental means.

This was a wine cupboard. Granted, it had more than just wine in there... But either way. "O-Oi, Hisoka... Why the hell did you just drag me in here-" The boy silenced himself as Koji went behind one of the tables to pull out a few rather large bottles of sake and promptly uncorked both of them.

"You. Are going to drink." Well. That was simply put. Ignoring Conan's frown however, Koji continued, pulling out a key from his pocket. "This is the key out." He dropped it in one of the sake bottles to Conan's displeasure, and then grinned. "To get it, you need to finish this."

Deciding not to bother standing by a door he couldn't escape out of, Conan took a seat on one of the stools and looked at Koji quizzically. "And why exactly are you trying to get me drunk?" Damn... That sounded so wrong, on so many levels...

Koji simply looked at him with a blank and half-lidded stare before shrugging. "Well, way I see it, this is one of the best ways to get over crap like this, strange as that sounds. Who would have known a depressant would make it so easy to get over depression?"

"......What..." For a few minutes, he went over his options. On one hand, he could sit until Koji decided it was pointless and drank the sake to get the key himself. However, the last thing he needed to see was a drunk Koji, not to mention the fact that he didn't know how long that would take. On the other hand, he himself could get drunk (He was a minor! Why was he considering this! Then again, he'd downed an entire bottle of Paikal two years ago...), get the key, and eventually make it out of the house with an enormous hangover thanks to the sake.

Sake didn't even taste that good. Of all the highly alcoholic things for Koji to pick, why was it that one? Or was that the reason he'd picked it... In the end however, he needed to get out somehow really... "Hah....." Reaching for the bottle with the key however, he watched as it was snatched away by Koji. "What? Didn't you just say-"

"You're drinking this one first." Conan frowned, and slowly looked at the second bottle. God... Damn it....

In the end, he grabbed it, and after a few seconds of pondering again took a mouthful of the rice wine and swallowed, wincing shortly after he did so. Blehhhhh... Sake... Sake tasted horrible... He frowned, glaring at Koji as a feeling of humor rolled off the boy. Fucking Koji doing strange things that made no sense...

It would be his loss when he finally was affected by the alcohol.

After two gulps of Sake in, Conan was slightly red in the face Koji noted. It took a bit more alcohol to get drunk thanks to the poison it seemed (Most of the effects of drunkenness were caused by the fluid being filtered through the liver and sent along the blood stream, but it didn't help much when the body slowly rejected it before the byproduct of this was caused!), but from what he could tell it was _starting_ to take effect.

Five mouthfuls of sake in however, it was more than a red face. And after ten, it looked like Koji would have to start a conversation for anything to be accomplished at all. However, before he had to say something, Conan finally moved his head from where it was laying on the table since mouthful 7, the sake sloshing within the bottle in his hand as he took another sip. "....'Sh wrong with him, makin' me drink all 'dis...."

Koji deadpanned- Damn, he was smashed already. "Oi oi.... I can hear you perfectly..."

No response. Watching Conan take another swig, he decided to try throwing in something to get the boy talking- If he talked long enough, maybe he'd finally realize something... Hopefully... "So... Your funeral arranged yet?" Please don't kick him, please don't kick him... Those shoes knocked a giant oak tree over, he didn't want to see what it could do to his stomach...

The drunk and flushed Conan simply stared off with sad eyes and took another swig of sake. "'S sunday... Ran's really upshet abou' 'dis though... Wish I could tell 'er ish not true..." Another swig. Koji sighed.

"Ja, why did you do it? If that's the case, wouldn't it make more sense to tell her?" Take the bait glasses... TAKE THE GODDAMNED BA-

Conan held up the bottle he had, swishing its contents a bit before taking another swig. He had a look of questioning shock on his face, as though Koji had said something extremely surprising. Hell, who knew what this was to a drunk mind. "I... I can'sh do that! That would... Would... She'd jush... I can'sh hurt her agin...." He shook his bottle again, finding it empty. However, as he plopped the bottle back on the table, the one with a key sitting at the bottom was quickly put in his hands.

He.. Didn't take the bait. Mentally sighing, Koji tried lacing in another statement instead. "You can't hurt her... And you think this is doing anything better? You're clingy aren't you, Megane-baka..."

"....I... I guesh..." Damn. That's not where things were supposed to go. The boy frowned as he watched Conan take a sip and stare down through the neck of the bottle to spot the key, before deciding what he could use against him here.

"Then why? You can't hurt her, but you're holding on tighter than you are that bottle neh?..."

Conan seemed to simply stare at his darkened reflection in the sake, before speaking. "....Becaush... I... I..." He frowned, glaring at Koji with puffy eyes and a red face, taking another swig of sake."Wha' would you know anywaysh? Shnot like you've been in this situashun..."

-_SLAM!-_ Conan jerked his head up and looked at Koji with wide eyes. "Maybe I haven't, _Edogawa_, but I can tell you this. You could at least consider what your cousin felt when he realized that his wife burnt herself to a crisp so that his daughter wouldn't die instead, when he had abandoned both to save his own skin." Screw getting the brat to go into a drunken ramble- Shindou hadn't been nearly this bad, and he hadn't even seen half the things that this kid did. At least Ran was _alive_.

For some reason as Conan silently sipped the rest of the sake in the awkward moments that settled in after Koji's outburst, the boy found his thoughts drifting off to events two years before. The image of himself, with a different voice, crying.

"Didsh you know... 2 yearsh ago, in a caesh there wash someone who looked like me, wif plashtic surgery..? He had a grudge becaush of a caesh I solved for him... Sho he tried to frame me... In di end, I wastched as he broke down into tearsh... It'sh somethin' I can't erashe from my mind now..." Koji frowned as Conan stared at the sake bottle, simply keeping quiet and letting the boy go on. Had to be a point to this somehow really.. "He had eryone fooled at firsht... But Ran... She didn'sh believe him, not for a minute! ….She knew who I wash... ….I plannshd everyshing, everyshing..." Another, very large swig of alcohol, and Koji's eyes narrowed. Wait for it.. It looked like he would come to grips on his own after all...

"I planned eryshing, an' yesh I shtill can't let go... I'm jusht a coward really... Doin' all dish, an' shen-"

"Maybe you are a coward then, Megane." Reverse psychology, reverse psychology, reverse-

Conan looked over at Koji with a look akin to a kicked puppy. "W-Wash... I'm.. I jusht care, I just wan Ran to be happy... I..."

"No, you just want to have sex with her. There's a difference."

-_crash- _Oh. He probably shouldn't have said that. Crap. As the loud cracking noise of porcelain and glass echoed through the room, shards of the bottle and droplets of sake falling off the keys, he could tell just what Conan was feeling after that. Rage. Koji almost flinched when he caught the look sent his way, almost seeing the flames rolling off with anger. "That... Thash the lowesht, vilesht thing you have evr shaid, you god damned bash-"

"So then why can't you let her go then, eh, Megane?! You just want her to be happy, and yet instead of trying to support her like the little brother she's seen you as all this time, you're moping around in your own misery! Hell there's barely any difference between you drunk and you a few hours ago, aside from the constant slur you're spitting out!"

Conan stood up, hands on the table as he leaned over with fury evident in his face, his eyes scanning Koji's as if to see if the boy was bluffing, lying without realizing it, anything... Anything... He looked down idly, picking up the keys. "...." Turning to look at the door, he looked back at Koji with weak and blurred eyes. "....I don't know why." The slur was gone... Looking back at the door, he walked towards it and unlocked it, leaving the room with a silent Koji sitting at the table in the dim light.

A few moments later however, Koji looked up to see the boy lean his head back in. "...Hisoka... ….Thanks." With that he left, Koji smirking. Once he thought that Conan was gone, the smirk slowly widened to let out a laugh.

"Hahaha! ...Knew it would work..." Thank you alcohol! Grabbing a mop he'd prepared, the boy proceeded to clear up the sake and glass, the smile showing up quite clearly on a small camera that Koji had missed when checking the house for bugs....

On the other end, a glasses wearing young man idly swirled the bourbon in his glass, frowning as he paused the screen and pressed a few keys on his laptop, zooming in on Koji's face. Then, pulling up an image of a supposedly different person all together, known only as 'Gin', he ran a small facial recognition program, a blip noise entering his ears quite quickly as the word 'MATCH' flashed across the screen. The frown deepened, and a hand reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a cell phone and dialing the familiar tune of 'Seven Children'.

"Vodka," he said, as he stared at the screen with a frown. "I have some information you may find quite interesting..."

A silence filled the room as the man stood, running his fingers through light brown hair as he listened to the one on the other end of the phone. "No... We should definitely not notify those above for this one- It would be best to solve this problem as per usual witness encounters I believe."

Another silence, this one shorter. "A normal witness? No. But I assure you, Vodka..." He leaned in to peer at the screen of his laptop, the footage once again live from the wine cellar of the Kudo's home. "...Our target is of no serious threat at this moment. I have a few ideas that we can use for this..."

Things were about to get much more complicated...


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The Dove's Warning**

The funeral had been upsetting to say the least. Conan had watched with dead eyes as a coffin, an empty one he knew, was lowered into the ground in front of a tombstone with his name on it. His parents were there, but at the same time they weren't, staying near the back with Agasa as they showed false remorse over an incident that never occurred. Ran and her parents were also there, the former in tears and the latter pair comforting the girl. Looking around at those who had come, Conan had turned away, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from his own grave site as possible.

That monday he'd managed to finally corner Ai after school to apologize, but while she had supposedly accepted it, he was still getting the silent treatment. It was to be expected really though... As she left, he'd felt a bit of happiness rolling off her though, which was accompanied by that strange feeling again... Something he'd been noticing a lot lately. While it was a bit awkward getting back a level of 'friendship' much similar to when they first met, it at least kept Genta from giving him death threats.

Still, he'd thought as he sat in his class almost a week after his 'death', it seemed that as his 'other self' was buried, he'd been able to lose those connections he'd had as 'Shinichi', and it honestly made him feel much more at ease knowing that. He'd heard from Kogoro (And Eri to his surprise last sunday) that Ran was still working hard in her classes- 'Shinichi' had once said not to get relationships between yourself and work, and though he'd never told Ran that, she'd still heard it from someone else. Besides, she had told them while Conan instantly laughed nervously, wasn't Conan's birthday coming up? He'd quickly gotten off that topic before Ran could realize that his birthday was the same as the now 'deceased' Shinchi...

Going through his desk for a pencil however, he found something rather odd attached to it. Well, not odd really but... Leaning away as Koji tried to see what it was as well, Conan blinked with confusion, staring at the note he'd unwrapped from the pencil. Before he could think about it (At least while looking at the note), it was snatched by the boy beside him.

"Hn.... 'Kaitou Kid' eh?....." He frowned, squinting at the note. "I think I've been assigned that guy before, but he moved before I could get his head...." Conan chose not to address that comment, instead taking the note back.

"Yea, I'm not sure why he'd send me a note here though..." Or at all for that matter. The bell rang for lunch a few seconds after he'd said that, and he grabbed his lunch to find a spot to study it. Lately he'd taken to sitting near gate during this time. As another generally avoided spot, it made a decent place to think, provided the kids didn't come and try to get him to play soccer or something... Leaning against the wall and looking at the note, he read it over a few times before attempting to crack it first.

'_**To the Dog, the Tiger, and the Raven slain.**_

_**When the moon hits the peak of the sunless sky, when witches cackle as they fly, at the tower of glass and treats of the eye, that's where we'll meet again!**_

_**But when the shadow penetrates the strongest defense, and the prisoners are taken by the ones seen as 'dense', will those who've escaped find the common sense, to capture those to blame?**_

_**In the place of work a message will be given, and those who have suffered will certainly be **__**forgiven, lest what is important is quickly imprisoned, and they pray not to be late again!**_

_**Kaitou Kid'**_

All in all, even without the fact that it was in english, it was definitely a strange way to send a message out compared to the usual notes he normally sent. Deciding to start from the beginning in any case, Conan nibbled on his sandwich and reread the first line yet again.

'To the Gemini, the Tiger, and the Raven slain.' Each animal was capitalized, implying that they were meant to be names and not objects. The tiger reminded him of Koji... Although both him and the Kaitou hadn't met (At least not as Koji... Conan chose not to picture the meeting.), whereas the raven _slain_ implied that the last one was dead or supposed to be dead.

Ravens were also large black birds... Almost dropping his sandwich with realization, Conan swallowed what was in his mouth and sweatdropped. Shit, was the thief stalking him or something? He'd only gone flying once- ...Twice... He took a flight after the funeral sunday... Still...

So 'slain' likely referred to his 'other half' then, meaning that 'tiger' could very well be Koji. As for the Gemini... Conan frowned, his eyes moving towards Kiyoiri. 'Gemini' was a constellation that represented twins, but it was also a non-scientific way of saying someone had 'two minds'. Something that he could still get from the girl right now.

On one hand... 'happiness, friendship, respect, caring...'

But on the other... 'murder, blood lust, anger, hatred...'

He shivered, but made note of this anyways. So the first line was basically saying 'To Kiyoiri, Koji, and Conan'. The boy moved on to the first paragraph, eager to get off the topic of Kiyoiri's mental state for the moment. 'When the moon hits the peak of the sunless sky,' obviously night, probably around the latest point... 'When witches cackle as they fly,' also a direct hint at night time, but an hour commonly linked to witches, at least in english, was midnight. So the time for whatever Kid wanted was midnight then.

'At the tower of glass and treats for the eye, that's where we'll meet again!' The tower was probably a skyscraper if it was a 'tower of glass', likely one with plenty of windows not that this was much help. The reference to rare and beautiful things wasn't helpful either, since most buildings had some sort of display for those who came in. The last part was simply obvious however... Moving on to the next paragraph, Conan hoped that it cleared up the first one.

'But when the shadow penetrates the strongest defense,' this line instantly brought up the image of the Black Organization, Conan frowning deeply. A warning? Was this a warning? It said the 'strongest defense', which probably meant that someone would end up targeted but who? 'And the prisoners are taken by the ones seen as 'dense'.' Someone they underestimated? Damn it... There were too many questions at this point, all he had was a time and a warning of some sort... 'Will those who've escaped find the common sense, to capture those to blame?' So either Koji, Ai, Kiyoiri, or Shindou could end up involved then. One, a few, or all in any case. The last part was again obvious, but it was still an unnerving thought...

Turning to the last and final paragraph, Conan finished the rest of his sandwich and narrowed his eyes. 'In a place of work a message will be given.' A business building, made mostly of glass, higher than most and a common location of rare items, likely gems... Suzuki Business Tower! Making note of that, Conan looked at the next part of the note eagerly, in an attempt to gain more information. 'And those who have suffered will certainly be forgiven, lest what is important is quickly imprisoned, and they pray not to be late again!' Another warning then... Conan folded the note and put it in his pocket, before going back to the rest of his lunch. He'd have to let Koji know then...

After a few moments of relatively clear thought, the bell rang for school to start up again and Conan packed up his lunch to head inside. Taking his seat in the class, and waiting for Ms. Jutte to turn to the board for whatever she was going to teach, Conan scribbled a note to Koji lest anyone around them hear.

'_Hisoka- Kaitou Kid is going to meet us at the Suzuki Business Tower at midnight tonight. Bring Kiyoiri.'_

After reading the note, Koji looked over at Conan with a wry smirk. "Hmp. Now who's making unnecessary notes Megane?" He kept his voice low, barely loud enough for Conan to hear before continuing with a groan. "Kuso... Now I have to convince Kiyoiri to take a nap somehow... This won't be fun... You are so damn lucky it's friday..." Conan simply laughed mentally, his half-lidded eyes turning back to the board in case the teacher decided to ask him what she was saying. While he had no doubt he could answer any question relating to the facts of the class, Ms. Jutte had a nasty way of asking you something that _no one_ could answer without having paid attention. And it really made school more boring.

To Conan's hidden glee however, Koji was the one called upon, and the long-haired boy found himself going slightly red without the answer. Hahaha... Only two hours until school was out... Why couldn't time move faster...

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She had tried to talk to Conan after school, but found him already long gone on his skateboard by the time she'd finished cleaning the class. A small frown came over her as she realized this, and Ai scowled as she began to head home alone, her plan to make complete peace with Conan now ruined.

"And so the earthen spirit laments its separation from the flame once again, having been unable to surround it in time... Yare yare yare, Ai-chan..." Turning to look behind her, Ai blinked with slight shock as Kira came out of seemingly nothing to walk up to her. "It would seem you are in need of assistance."

Ai frowned, turning away. "Assistance? You are greatly mistaken Kira-chan. I simply wanted to speak to Edogawa-kun about something, that is all." Her eyes closed slightly, before the blind girl's voice came from behind yet again.

"Indeed. The flame that is Edogawa Conan-kun, which you have persistently chased for many a day, hidden in the recesses of the earth's canyons. The strings of fate shimmer like blood, and yet are invisible to those who do not look. It must be painful, Ai-chan, to be one of those few who have realized their own."

"If you wanted to tell me something Kira-chan, you had best do it soon- I have some homework that I need to work on after all." Strings of fate... Pah... The day Conan realized what the looks coming from her were would be the day that hell froze over and heavens gates allowed her passage inside. She had research to do... An antidote was out of the question, but another poison was not after all...

Kira took a seat on the bench Ai had stopped by, removing her hat to turn blind eyes skywards. "What is a few minutes to an eternity, my friend? But you are correct in saying you and I do not currently have that privilege. I merely wish to tell you that in a few days time, this world will crumble away in the hands of the long damned souls, and that you would do well to remain watchful of those around you. Friends are fine to hold, but your enemies must be closer for the time being." The girl stood up on the bench and turned away from her 'friend', waving a hand towards the gate before continuing. "Ja, it has been a nice chat. Good-bye, Ai-chan." She walked along the bench until she reached the end of it, before continuing along the field and disappearing behind one of the many trees in the yard.

A chat? Kira had done most of the talking... Still, Ai told herself, a warning this cryptic was something to pay attention to. Walking home, her eyes narrowed in thought as she contemplated the message. Things were likely to get very serious soon...

Very serious indeed.

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He winced as another creak left the stairs, hurriedly looking back upstairs to see if the noise had woken up his 'uncle' as the man insisted Conan call him. Then again, he should probably be more worried about the man's wife now that he thought about it, as she was probably far less a deep sleeper really... Shaking his head when it seemed that neither Kogoro nor Eri had been woken up, Conan continued down the stairs until he reached the bottom, carefully grabbing his skateboard and opening the door. Once he was sure that he could speak without waking anyone up (At least anyone he was worried about), he took out his 'Shonen Tantei' badge and flipped the signal to the previously decided number.

"Hisoka?"

A crackly voice came over the other end, fizzing with the faulty signal they'd chosen so that the others wouldn't be woken up by their own badges. _"Yea, I hear you fine... Kiyoiri and I got out alright, we'll be waiting outside..."_ Conan nodded before turning off his badge and heading off on the skateboard. Oh the draw backs of being the only one with this thing.. He was now stuck transporting both Kiyoiri and Koji over there. While he didn't mind the girl much, giving a ride to the one who once tried to kill him multiple times was rather disturbing. Thoughts drifting as he whizzed down the thankfully empty streets in the area, Conan barely heard Kiyoiri's hurried and loud 'Look out!' before just missing a few garbage cans.

"Kuso!" The skateboard powered down, and Conan hissed with pain before his cut knee slowly healed over.

Koji leaned over, a frown rather clear even in the dim shadows left from the street light. "Geeze Megane... Who trusted you with that thing? Your driving is terrible..."

"At least it's not comparable to your helicopter skills..."

The boy frowned deeper, eyebrows laced in confusion as Conan paled under the gaze. "Heli.. copter... I've only ridden one once, and that was when I was supposed to- OWAH!" Relization hit, as angry and wide eyes appeared with a shocked scowl, the boy pointing at Conan with his mouth wide open and poised to shout at him before a tug from Kiyoiri snapped him out of it.

"Ano, Koji-kun? What are you talking about? Did you drive a helicopter and crash?" She seemed genuinely upset Conan noted, but there was still another half that seemed to be rather excited about the prospect of a helicopter crash... Eurrgg...

"Uh...." Deciding to change the subject, Koji tapped his watch and pointed in the direction of the Suzuki building. "We should get going, neh Kiyoiri?" The words seemed to do the trick, as Kiyoiri seemed to instantly drop the topic of helicopters, and hopped on the end of the skateboard instead.

"Haaaai!" She stepped on the back of the skateboard, quickly followed by the other boys before Conan started off down the street again. At the speed they were going, it would likely take only a few minutes really... To confirm this, the Suzuki building soon came in sight, and just moments after this, the three got off and stowed the skateboard on Conan's bag using the straps that looped around it.

However, walking around the building, Conan realized one rather... Important fact he'd missed.

"Conan-kun.... How are we going to get up to the roof?" Conan smacked his head as Kiyoiri openly stated what he had been thinking, Koji looking rather darkly at him at the same moment.

However, the look quickly disappeared as Koji suddenly went wide eyed and sniffed. Shoving past Conan and moving around Kiyoiri (Much to the boy's annoyance), he sniffed again, his nose pointed upwards rather comically. "Huh... What do you know Megane... Looks like the thief left us a way up." He pointed towards what seemed to simply be a rope dangling from who knew where, before pointing towards the roof.

Conan looked upwards, then back at the rope. "There is no way in hell I will be pulled up that rope by Kid." He was ignored however, and left to watch as Kiyoiri and Koji both slipped their hand in two out of three loops built into the rope. Watching Koji then attach a harness that had been lying on the ground, the boy sighed. God.. Damn it...

Within a few minutes, had anyone in the area been awake aside from the Kaitou Kid himself, they would have heard a distinct 'HWAAAAAAH!!!' as three 'children' were pulled upwards at high speed. Windows blurred past, Conan silently thanking his 'other half' for the slight immunity to motion sickness while Koji and Kiyoiri went slightly green. Watching as a weighted sack passed by, he laughed mentally with sarcasm. 'Hahaha.... He would do things that way...'

"Bwah!" The three went past the railing, Koji lashing out at the bars with his free hand and gripping it tightly, before using his other hand to pull Kiyoiri over. Looking over the edge, Koji paled before letting out his held breath. "Taku... That's just too close for comfort, instant healing or none..."

A grunt from above caught the pair's attention, Kiyoiri gasping with glee and surprise while Koji sweatdropped. "Oi oi oi.... Nice to see you care about me too, Hisoka.." The steady flap noise of wings was heard, Conan's arms having torn the sleeves of his spirits jersey to let loose an enormous set of black wings in the place of his arms. Slowly lowering himself downwards, he landed as his arms reverted to normal, Kiyoiri staring with awe all the while.

While Koji simply deadpanned, Kiyoiri ran over immediately to examine her friend's arms. "Su...Sugoi..... It's like Koji-kun's, only cooler!" Conan sent a rather smug grin over Koji's way at this comment, the silvery blond one simply scowling. Tch! Wasn't his fault his transformation was rigged by Tenshi...

"How did you do that anyways...." Koji's eyes seemed to go over the boy's arms skeptically, before he continued. "Those weren't as big as the actual bird..."

Conan simply looked back with half-lidded eyes. "I used my head, baaaaro."

"Eh?!" 'Baro'? He was not an idiot! He-

A cloud of smoke prevented any arguments from sprouting however, and Koji's eyes widened as a familiar scent entered his nostrils. Checking his watch, he looked around the cloud of pink smoke, sniffing like a dog would when hunting. 11:59. The meeting was in 30 seconds... So where-

The smoke cleared, and a young man wearing a pure white suit appeared, complete with a hat, cape and monocle. "Well, it looks like the lift I made got you up alright, Tantei-san... Byako-san... Ki-chan." Kiyoiri seemed to blush at the twist on her name, the two boys simply sighing. They were stuck with these names huh... "In any case, time is of the essence. No doubt that you knew this already, neh, Tantei?"

Conan nodded. "It's the Black Organization, isn't it? The 'shadow' mentioned in the note you sent us."

"Hai." Kid's gaze hardened, before he went on. "I would have specified in the note, but I'm afraid that the walls have both ears and eyes- I needed a location lacking both in order to give you this message properly, so if you please listen to it, I'm sure you'll understand the conditions that brought you up here." He smiled slightly, Koji simply glaring fiercely- If he hadn't had a tight grip on Kiyoiri... Not to mention, calling her that...

Kiyoiri in the meantime, walked forwards with confusion written plainly on her face. "Black.. Organization... But, wasn't that the place that..." Her eyes almost seemed to dim for a second, before Conan spoke up as well.

"Then, when the note says 'lest what is important be imprisoned'... It means that someone will likely be captured..."

Kid nodded. "Correct. I am still not sure who is involved specifically, but I can tell you this- Within a few days, they will make their move. Keep an eye on everyone around you, and I will try to do my part in the meantime. Do not underestimate _anyone_! Especially the agents that you already know of!" Looking at Kiyoiri, he softened his gaze slightly. The girl was shaking slightly, and Koji, having noticed it, was now holding an arm around her. "...Ja... Before I leave you with my parting words, a little something for Ki-chan..." Moving quicker than Conan's eye could read, but not for the two in front, he held out an empty hand to Kiyoiri, before snapping his fingers.

"Heh...?" In a poof of smoke, a small white rose appeared, the girl taking it carefully with a delicate touch. "What's this for...?"

Kid stood up, a kind smile on his face yet again. "Ah, something to remember me by you could say... I've told you almost all I know, and now I will give you the last of my knowledge. The one who is currently your greatest enemy," He pointed at Koji and Kiyoiri, the two blinking with shock as the Kaitou adjusted his hat and took a step onto the railing. "...It is likely that he will soon become your ally as well, that Bourbon..." Falling off the edge, Kiyoiri gasped with delight as the thief sailed off, the hang glider's white fabric shimmering in the light.

And then Koji heard it.

-_**BAN**_-

"Hit the deck!" The boy tackled Kiyoiri to the ground, eyes shut as the sounds of gunshots rang over head before a light thudding noise caught his attention, accompanied by the crunching of metal. "...What..." Conan's shoes had fallen in front of his and Kiyoiri's face, and in the last few seconds before he acted, he saw the boy leap over the side after the Kaitou Kid with no hesitation whatsoever. ".....Fuck."

Running to the edge after telling Kiyoiri to keep her position behind the elevator shed of the building, Koji was nonetheless surprised when he saw the results of that jump below him.

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As soon as he'd heard the gunshot and the metal collapsing, Conan ran towards where the Kaitou Kid disappeared, kicking his shoes off and silently telling himself to wear shorts more often. It was a good thing he had today in any case. Later, he would think back to this moment and wonder if he would have done this when he was 'Shinichi'- He would find himself unable to answer in the end though.

Jumping over the edge, he saw what he had expected to see- Kaitou Kid's now twisted and broken hang glider spiraling downwards at high speed. Conan shut his eyes and moved his arms forwards, before focusing. He had one shot. Only one.

Feathers burst from his skin and the boy moved his arms back to his sides, propelling himself forwards before flipping backwards in midair to send two very bird-like legs towards the falling thief. Drawing his wings upwards again, he was propelled down further, toes spread far apart in the same way a hand was before grasping something.

A tearing noise was made as talons pierced through fabric to gain a hold around Kid's arms, Conan steadily rotating his arms in the flapping motion the moment he had gotten hold.

-_**BAN!**_- Conan swerved to the side as a bullet barely missed his cheek, paling as he flew as far away from that side of the building as possible. -_**BAN!BAN!**_- Dodge, dodge, this was really difficult with the weight he was carrying.

-_**BAN!**_- The boy frowned, eyes wide with fear as another bullet whizzed by, looking up cautiously to see Koji and Kiyoiri sliding down the rope. It was a long way down, Conan idly thought as he spotted the wince on Koji's face the boy's hand becoming burnt and torn by the rope. But the stubborn bastard wasn't about to let go, thankfully. Conan swerved again, this time ducking behind a completely separate building as the gunshots stopped completely. Carefully, he let the thief down and let go, landing next to him and shedding himself of the bizarrely comfortable appearance of the bird.

".....Kid?" The boy checked him for a pulse, sighing as he found one. He was unconscious.. He could easily unmask him, right here, and the thief would be none the wiser. However, he thought to himself, frowning, how fair was that exactly, having just been given a warning that while vague was still so much better than nothing? "...Oi, Kid, wake up..." He nudged the thief, shaking his shoulder before footsteps from behind turned him around. "Shff!!!"

A hand prevented Conan from speaking, but not through direct contact. Koji held an unconscious Kiyoiri on his back, his left hand in the generic 'stop' position while feelings of fear and worry drifted off his face. "Shh- I'll stay here and make sure he wakes up yea? Just get this kid home." He motioned towards Kiyoiri, Conan simply nodding slowly with a frown.

"Why is she unconscious?" The frown deepened as Koji turned away, slipping the girl down and laying her on the ground. From Kiyoiri's unconscious form, he could for once feel only one 'half' of emotions, and yet she was completely out of it... Fear, caring, thankfulness... Where was the other half though, and how could he tell from someone who wasn't conscious?

"....Later. Just get her home already."

Deciding that it was to late to argue any further on that topic, Conan picked up Kiyoiri, silently taking his shoes from Koji when the taller one took them out of his bag. Heading back on the skateboard, he took the darkest, most covered route possible before finally reaching his old house. After carrying Kiyoiri to her room, he collapsed in what used to be his with a sigh. Dear god... That was a long-

The boy frowned, sitting up and looking around the room. Someone... Had been in here. Eyes widened with an unknown fear as he looked around the room. For the first time... He knew what Ai was feeling all those times around Vermouth, Vodka, and Gin...

This... Was true paranoia he thought to himself, and on the other end of the hidden camera, and equally deep frown formed on Okiya's face. The assassination of the Kaitou Kid had once again failed... But Vodka had likely planned out an 'option B' already. The only thing was, he thought to himself as he sat back in his desk chair, was the involvement of the others in the home. Another bridge to cross soon, he decided. Narrowed eyes scanned the room however, as a paranoid feeling not at all different from Ai and Conan's came over him. Since the plan had been made, he felt as though someone else was watching him as well really... But he couldn't find any traces of bugs, poisons, there wasn't anyone following him...

He'd figure things out soon, he told himself. Soon. He just hoped that things didn't come back to haunt him in the end.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: The Worst Birthday To Ever Exist**

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On Saturday, Kiyoiri felt scared for the first time since she'd come to Tokyo. After the gunshots rang out, her mind was a blank. She couldn't remember anything except the blurred voice of Koji-kun calling her name, the feeling of wind blowing past her, and then... Waking up. It was really late in the morning when she had woken up though, so she had to rush to make it to Mitsuhiko's house like she'd promised earlier that week. He, Genta, and Ayumi wanted her to play video games with them, and, having 'grown up' with Jino (Not that she mentioned him), how could she say no? This would be fun!

-_**bzzzzzzt!**_- Kiyoiri pushed the doorbell and waited outside Mitsuhiko's house, eyes drifting around the building in the usual unconscious motion they did. It was harder to do this at 'her' house, because it was so big, but she'd noticed that most houses here were much much smaller really. The windows made bad exits on the second floor, save for the one that exited onto a small balcony- She could easily make it from there to the tree. Windows on the main floor were large, easy to get through, or be taken out through. She hoped there were curtains. The door was-

"Ah! Kiyoiri-chan! Please, come inside!" Kiyoiri looked back at the front door and smiled, following Mitsuhiko inside and taking her shoes off.

"Ano, what games will we be playing Mitsuhiko-kun?" They walked upstairs, soon coming to his room where both Ayumi and Genta were sitting in front of a small sized t.v., in front of which was a 'Wii' system. Taking a seat between the two as Mitsuhiko grabbed one of the controllers, she stared at the screen briefly. "...Fishing?"

Mitsuhiko nodded nervously. "Ah.. H-Hai... We were playing Okami while we waited.. We caught a really big fish though, would you like to see it?" Watching his friend nod in response, he took a seat and moved the 'wii-mote' over the screen until a gallery of fish appeared. "There- See? It's an oarfish!"

"Oarfish?" Kiyoiri blinked, looking from the screen to her friends, who also seemed clueless as to the specifics.

At least... Aside from Mitsuhiko, who was currently in 'elaborate' mode. "Yes. It's called 'oarfish' because of the two fins it has, which look like oars. It's the longest living fish in the world, but it isn't that good to eat... They live very deep in the ocean, and resurface when they're about to die, or if they're sick! Supposedly, they're the fish that inspired tales of sea-serpents and dragons!"

"Wuaaaaah... Cool..." When Kiyoiri got home that day, the oarfish and many of the other things she'd seen in the fish gallery was one of the constants left in her mind, the second being the message from last night. Eyes drifted over to the white rose in a glass jar while feeding Kero, and stayed there when she lay down in her bed. What if.. Something bad happened, she thought. What if something happened and Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun, Ayumi-chan... Kira-chan, Ai-chan, her Otou-san... What if the 'Black Organization' got them? What if...

A knock came on her door. "Kiyoiri? Can I come in?"

"Ah.. Ok!" She nodded as she said this, even though she knew that her father wouldn't have seen the gesture. Watching the man come in, the girl sat up in her bed.

Taking a seat on the end of the bed, Shindou looked around the room before looking back at Kiyoiri. "I heard you had fun with your friends today. What did you do?"

"We played games mostly... I found out a lot about fish though!" For some reason, she couldn't quite get in the mood to talk about her day. Normally, when she came home, she'd go to her 'Tou-san instantly to tell him about her day but.. For some reason, she couldn't shake this feeling of fear... "Otou-san... If something bad happens, you'll always be there right?" Why did she ask this? It wasn't possible for him to help if he was at work when something happened right.."

Kiyoiri was met with a serious and honest face. "Of course!" He gave her a hug, the girl returning the embrace. "Of course, Kiyoiri... I will never let anyone hurt you..." Giving her one last squeeze, he stood up, a calm smile on his face yet again. "Now, it's getting late, and we have a lot of things to get ready for, neh? You're going to see where I work remember? Goodnight, Kiyoiri." Watching the girl nod before slipping deeper into her blankets, he left the room, flipping the light off as he did so.

The room fell silent... Kiyoiri stared at the ceiling of the room before slipping out of her bed and sneaking out of her room. Walking down the hallway, she slowly creeped into Koji's room and looked around hesitantly. Good, she thought to herself, no one was in there... Walking over to the other side of the room on her toes, she opened the top drawer and sighed mentally. Typical Koji-kun, putting things like this in plain sight.

There it was. The last pill. Grabbing it and hurriedly stuffing it in her mouth before swallowing, she slipped back out of the room after placing an unwrapped strawberry sweet in the pill's original position in the back, and shutting the drawer. Koji-kun may be able to smell better, but she knew that this would fool him. Both the pill and the candy smelled the same and looked the same when both were surrounded by plastic bag after all.

Laying back down in her bed, Kiyoiri smiled to herself and went to sleep. Now everyone would be safe... Now they would...

Darkness settled in outside, but on the other end of the cameras in the rooms, Okiya was no longer watching. He was too busy bandaging the wound he had on his arm, while writing a note that read 'Gone to visit relatives in Hokkaido, be back in a week'. He was too naïve... It seemed took more than skills to keep his position where it was.

It took a price that he wasn't about to pay as well. He grimaced as he slipped out of the room, the house, and eventually the street, keeping to the shadows as he eventually made his way to the house of the one who had ironically warned him of all this. How ironic... For catching a traitor, he was now seen as one...

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It was a week after the warning from Kaitou Kid, and still no signs of action on the enemy's part. Things had settled down considerably, and oddly enough Ai and Conan's relationship seemed to have patched up to what it had been before April began through that very topic. On relaying the warning to Ai during a visit in the girl's lab (He couldn't shake the feeling of paranoia upstairs..), she herself seemed to burst with that unknown feeling again, her slightly red face turning away. When questioned about this later however, she simply said that she had eaten something odd, and then told him it was thoughtful to tell her to lie low for a while, but how much lower could she get without drawing attention exactly?

That was a good point really...

In any case, he thought to himself as cheerful cries of 'Happy Birthday!' surrounded him, at least nothing happened today either. That would _really_ be bad. Being attacked on his birthday was not something he wanted to happen after all. (Even if they were celebrating it half a week after the actual event.) Still, mentally sighing again, nervously opened up the presents his friends had gotten him, wincing when Genta said 'You'll really like it!' He had a bad feeling about this somehow...

Before he could open the present however, there was a high pitched scream down the hall of the kareoke building that he, the Shonen Tantei, Ran, and Sonoko were all currently sitting in. It was hard to miss the glimmer that appeared in Conan's eyes as he ran towards the source of the scream, the old feeling that usually came at the scene of a crime in place. Adrenalin flowed through his body, reacting to the intense feeling of knowledge, knowledge of who, what, why...

And more importantly, how.

Outside the final room of the building, a janitor's closet, the manager of the building stared in shock, the small girl who had simply asked for a mop to clean up some spilled soda shuddering in fear. Not missing a beat, Conan immediately asked the manager if he knew the man. Meanwhile, Kiyoiri looked over at the other girl and went to comfort her. "Hey... It's ok, neh?"

"Ng.. Ng..." The girl simply stared off, shaking considerably until an ambulance and the police arrived, the former taking her away to treat for shock. The latter, in the meantime, found that yet again their job had been made slightly easier. As per Conan's instructions (At first questioned- Would you listen to a '9 year old' in a situation like this?), those who were also in the building at the time were gathered together, the only exception being the small girl's parents. After their fingerprints had been taken to the pair's incredible annoyance and rage, they had left to accompany their daughter in the ambulance.

The team that arrived seem a bit different at the moment, and for fairly important reasons. For one, Shiratori was missing, as he was on his honeymoon with Kobayashi- Though they really couldn't call her that now could they. Miwako _Takagi_, having married a year and a half ago, was also missing, though her reason was quite exciting for most- Her first child was due in a few months it seemed, so she was on leave. Her husband however, as well as Chiba and Megure, and a replacement officer were there, and within a few moments things were settled down slightly as Conan slipped around the group currently questioning the suspects on their whereabouts.

"Oiiiii, Megane..."

Conan jumped as a hand clapped his shoulder, glaring at Koji before turning back to the body, a horrifically disemboweled man by the name of 'Takemane, Ushio'. "Tch! Don't do that!"

Koji merely shrugged, looking over Conan at the body and wrinkling his nose. "Well, sorry if I don't know what it's like to zone out around a body, but I just thought you might want to know that this guy smells something fierce- I can't tell what it is, but I know for a fact that whatever it is isn't healthy. Though maybe if I get closer..." He walked around the boy, hands on his knees as he looked at the body. The man was dressed in a suit, his jacket unbuttoned and open wide, as were his arms. The man's palms faced up, and his fingernails were clear of anything but the blood that dripped from his dissected abdomen. Taking a cautious sniff, Koji drew back instantly and covered his nose with one hand, waving the air with his other. "Tch! Never mind, I'm not getting anywhere near that thing!"

"..." Well, _that_ was impressive. Conan silently thanked the fact that scavenging birds didn't mind the smell of anything really, before rubbing his head with one hand. "Right... If you want to help, Hisoka, you could just figure out who the suspects we should worry about are while I look over this... The metropolitan police dept. has gotten more lax about me being here it's true, but if they found me examining the body right now, I doubt they'd approve. But I can't really focus on three different conversations and a body at the same time neh?"

Koji shrugged, moving past Conan. "You're assuming I _can._ Well, makes me look better in any case." He smirked, ignoring Conan's half-lidded glare before walking out of the dark closet. "All right, I got it... I'll go do some spying for you, but you owe me in the end, ne?" He cocked his head slightly, face tight with focus before he spoke. "...Your 'birthday' party is all cleared of course... You never left the room, the guy at the front desk can vouch for that. Since there's only one camera there though, your room is the only one under surveillance, or at least the door anyways... Seem's kinda unfair really..."

Catching Conan's unimpressed stare (He knew all this already...), Koji rolled his eyes and turned away from the closet to focus on listening in on everyone else, while the shorter one continued examining the body. The man's face was contorted with fear, his eyes frozen with the emotion of shock, surprise... He was caught off guard, the boy thought. One of his hands was slightly cupped, as though it had been holding something. Looking to the side of it, Conan walked over to where he saw a small dented and cut plastic bottle, the area surrounding it clear. It also smelled _horrible._ "Eugh..." Catching a glimpse at the label, he narrowed his eyes and stepped backwards. Why was it that cleaning products like ammonia had to smell so bad? At least he knew what Koji had been talking about though- If it smelled bad to his completely human nose, then who knew what Koji's enhanced one felt after taking a sniff.

Another thing caught Conan's eye, and he frowned, walking over to the back of the room behind the just-dead man. There was a void of dust where a bottle had been... Turning around, the boy looked over at the ammonia bottle and the man. Ahh... So that was it then... Walking out of the room just in time to see the police move towards the closet, he looked around as he walked towards the rest of the group.

Now to determine the culprit... He had a pretty good idea now, but if he could just confirm it... Just where was Koji anyways?

* * *

Koji was having an interesting experience with the police force while Conan examined the body, his eye twitching almost non-stop as Kiyoiri, who had followed along with him, gained the multitude of exclamations all centered around one thing. She looked so much like Conan, and Shinichi...

The boy had, however, come off as quite rude when he simply stalked off alone to take a seat in a bench outside the room, much to the children's distaste, but when Ai caught a few of the words he was muttering, she smirked.

'_Damn hyper sensitive ears... Never going to walk properly again now..._' Ahahaaa... It seemed that the general fact that dizziness and high pitched noises went hand in hand still applied. She would have to remember this for something.

Back in the front of the room however, Koji now had a small note book and a pencil, occasionally scribbling down a few things as he listened in on the 'interviews'. This whole 'detective' thing was kind of bitting him in the back as a reminder of what he did, but nonetheless, it seemed that the 'attention to details you cannot leave behind' skill was paying off here. There were three suspects, not counting those who went with the little girl to the hospital. Wife of the victim, 'Takemane, Miwa', the woman's brother, brother-in-law to the victim 'Kokuzuku, Moujin', and the victim's best friend 'Kinnouka, Souzen'. The three came in with Ushio to celebrate Moujin's birthday, and as he found out from the conversation, Moujin was amazing with memory. The man was blind, so of course Takagi had asked why the group came to a Kareoke... But it seemed that Moujin could remember things with incredible skill, and so, when the music for whatever song he had began playing, he had always gotten a high rating for the performance.

Or so they said. He certainly wasn't testing anyways. So far the time line was this: The group came in, and about an hour later Ushio had to use the washroom. Soon after this, Moujin spilt his drink over, so he and Souzen left to get paper towels. After reaching the janitors closet, Moujin told Souzen he could manage from there, and about 10 minutes later returned with the paper towels. Right after this, Souzen left to go check the washroom for Ushio, only to come back a while later with no luck. Soon after this, they heard the scream and were gathered into the hallway.

This was what the police had gotten. But what Kiyoiri and the kids had done, was way, WAY more helpful. First, they were asking what the 'tube' on Moujin's stick was, and what the stick was for. Moujin explained that he used it to find his way around, and that the tube was to keep him from pricking his finger when he collapsed the stick- It had a rather sharp point, as it was also used to collect garbage. Kiyoiri had made a face at this, which ended the conversation right there it seemed.

The next person that the Shonen Tantei 'interrogated' was Miwa. According to her, things had been getting awkward between her and her husband lately... But when Ayumi had asked why this was, the woman had been unable to answer, until Souzen joined in the conversation. Souzen said that Ushio had been about to throw a divorce on Miwa- She would have been in a rather tight situation. Granted, he said this _after_ Miwa left, so it was quite likely that she didn't know about this.. And as Mitsuhiko worriedly asked this, the suspicion was confirmed. Moujin and Souzen were the only ones who knew aside from Ushio, as the man had been drunk when he told them. Genta got rather upset about both lying to Miwa, at which point they were tugged away from the suspects by a rather annoyed Sonoko.

"Really, I know you want to help and all, but now you're just bugging everyone!" And just like that, the kids found themselves 'banished' to the room they'd had from the beginning, Koji hearing the door shut behind them. Ahahaha... Hadn't everything been shut down for the moment though?

Hopping from the chair, Koji went over his list of information. Hn.. From what he could tell, Miwa was the least likely suspect of the group at the moment, followed by Moujin for the sheer fact that he was blind. However... Frowning as he looked around for Conan, he remembered just how 'blind' Kira acted even though she could see no better than Moujin. Well... He thought so anyways.

-_sniff_- Koji's nose twitched slightly, the boy turning as a familiar scent entered his nostrils. The garbage? Walking over and looking inside, his frown was joined by half-lidded eyes as he plugged his nose. Eugh... The smell was so... Strong...

"Koji-kun?" He looked up from the garbage at Ran, before flushing slightly. Heeee... He'd been caught. Whoops! "Koji-kun, what are you doing looking in the garbage can...?"

Quickly stepping back from the can, he pocketed his notepad in the same moment, hoping that Ran's eyes didn't catch it. "Um... Just... Throwing something out..." That was it. Yea. Had to be. Koji hoped that his pathetic lie wasn't seen through.

"Ah... Alright. I was just wondering if you'd seen Conan-kun, Okiya-san has been looking for him." Okiya? The boy leaned over to look around Ran, spotting the man instantly before his nose gave an involuntary twitch. This man.. Smelled of blood, and it wasn't someone else's... Watching Okiya disappear out the building however, he decided to let it go- Right now, he needed to get the information to Conan.

He looked back at Ran, before nodding. "Right... I'll let Megane know then..." Walking past the two, he made his way near the group of suspects, stopping when he heard Sonoko's voice. "Heh..." Sniff. Sniff. Oooook. Sonoko smelled like sleeping toxins, and Megane was definitely behind her.

"Megure-keibu! There's something I think you should know..." Conan's voice from behind Sonoko was instantly turned into the woman's voice through the voice changer he held in front of him. "...About the culprit, and what they did at least."

Megure blinked, looking down at Sonoko. "Hn...? Suzuki-san, you know who the culprit is?" This seemed oddly familiar- Like the 'sleeping Kogoro'... Recognizing the same pattern (Annoyance, a shocked expression, and then suddenly they were 'asleep' in a chair, making deductions), he decided to listen.

Koji meanwhile snuck over and around the chair Sonoko was sitting rather haphazardly in, while the rest of the people in the room instantly turned towards the woman. Okiya as well, looked over there, his eyes narrowed even more than they generally appeared to be. "Psst, Megane... What are you doing? I never gave you the information..."

Conan pointed at his bowtie with a look that said 'what does it look like', before blinking when the boy mentioned 'information'. Oh. Mind as well look at that he supposed... Motioning for Koji to hand the notebook over, he continued to speak through the bowtie. "Correct! I have seen more than enough, Keibu, to make my accusation."

Skimming the notes, Conan found little that changed his deductions. Suspect, plan, and everything really was still all there... And then he got to the few notes made while Koji was listening in on the kids. As well as the final note that the boy had added before 'kicking the bucket' on detective work. The smell he'd found in the closet was coming from... "Keibu! The murderer is... Kokuzuku, Moujin!"

Shock filled the room, and both Miwa and Souzen looked at the blind man with fear. Moujin however, shook with rage, an emotion clear to everyone in the room even without the visuals of his eyes, blocked by dark sunglasses. "What?" He clacked the stick on the ground, his face red. "How dare you! My sister's husband has been killed, and you accuse a member of her own family? Ushio was like a brother to me!"

"Is that so?" Conan appeared to be staring at nothing, Koji noticed idly as he rested a head on his hand. He also made expressions as though he really was the one talking to the police. It was.. Actually pretty amusing. "Then explain why the end of your walking stick smells like ammonia!"

Moujin froze, Takagi taking a cautious sniff beside him. "...She's right! There's a faint smell coming from it... I'll need to see this." The man grabbed the walking stick, looking at the tube at the bottom. "...It does smell! But, Suzuki-san, this doesn't explain how Kokuzuku-san murdered anyone- The most it could mean is that he cleaned it meticulously..."

"Check again, Takagi-keiji. That walking stick is covered with a plastic tube.. And underneath it, you'll find a razor sharp blade, the murder weapon!" As Takagi removed the plastic covering, Moujin paled considerably. Not only was the blade concealed beneath the tube, but it was covered with dark red stains that were occasionally blotted out by the clear fluid of ammonia.

Miwa's eyes welled, having slowly been tearing up the entire time. "M-Moujin... Your... How..."

Before Moujin could say anything, 'Sonoko' spoke again. "With his phone. When Kokuzuku told his friend to leave, he used speed-dial to contact Takemane from the washroom. Most likely he said something like 'I am having trouble finding something', or 'I've gotten stuck'. In any case, when Takemane arrived to help, he was attacked with the walking stick, which was rammed into his side and used in the same way a sword would be. The smell from the stick was caused by the ammonia bottle he was holding, as it was cut open in the attack. After killing Takemane, all Kokuzuku had to do was return to the room and wait..."

"But why!" Miwa looked from Sonoko to Moujin, her hands on her head as she cried. "Why... My own brother..."

Moujin turned his head downward, his fists shaking as he spoke. "Miwa... Last week when Souzen and I were drinking with Ushio, he said something.. Miwa, he was going to divorce you, leaving you with nothing! I just couldn't-"

"You could have told someone else, someone who could help at least." The crowd turned to Koji, who now stood beside the chair with his hands behind his head. Pulling on the 'I don't know anything' cover however, he continued. "I may not know much about this sort of thing, but I'm pretty sure that even that would have solved most of this..." The others went silent at this, Moujin simply turning away. From what Koji could see, the man was crying...

The blind man was still shaking as handcuffs were latched around his wrists, his sister and Souzen watching as the police cruiser drove away. Meanwhile, while Sonoko woke up in a yet again confusing situation (Which was yet again covered with obliviousness), Ran told the kids they could come out now.

"Mou... If I'd known that the officer would tell you to stay in here so long, I would have gotten you something to do at least... ...Kira-chan?"

As the others turned to look at the girl, Ai blinked. Odd... When did Kira arrive? "Hello, Ran-neechan. The party was quite enjoyable, but I must leave now..."

While the kids stared as well, Ran simply nodded. "Ah.. Ok, Kira-chan... Next time please let me know when you arrive though! You frightened me!" Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears however, as Kira was long gone by the time she said this, having gone outside after Conan and Koji. Watching her leave, Ai frowned slightly. Normally Kira would say something before she left... What was going on...

Outside, Conan and Koji were simply watching the cruiser disappear, before the latter turned to his friend (Not that he would ever likely admit that he saw him as one). "Huh... Glad that's all over.."

Conan looked at Koji as though he had grown another head, frowning. "Hn? What do you mean?"

"No offense, Megane... But I really can't see how you would ever want to do that for a living... Then again, it doesn't require any musical talent at all, so I can see where you're going there.."

The glasses wearing boy went red, glaring at the taller one. "Eh! I can sing fine you ass!"

"Maybe compared to a banshee- Though I have to say, I might listen to one of those instead..." He dodged a swipe from the other, smirking as he stepped back. "Only saying Megane! Oddly touchy about this, were you hoping to serenade someone?"

This only gained another glare, Conan's face heating up considerably as he shook with anger. "Hisoka..."

"Oh my... I do hope I am not interrupting anything..." The two boys turned, Koji paling as Kira walked up to them. "I was hoping to ask you something, but it would likely ruin the moment, however long that moment may last..."

Conan frowned, crossing his arms. "'Ruin the moment'? What are you talking about Kira-chan?" Why did he have a bad feeling about this...

Kira smiled, chuckling softly before pointing towards the general direction of the coast. "Mhmhmhmhmhm... The raven's opposite is within her element, but not to the preferred extent... My dear friends, I must ask you this... Where is Kiyoiri-chan at this current moment."

"K-Kiyoiri.." Koji paled more so, frantically sniffing the air before wide eyes turned towards where Kira was pointing. "I-Iye.." Running off as Conan called after him to wait, the boy's eyes were dangerously wide, flashing continuously between green and blue as razor sharp teeth ground together.

In a nearby parking lot, Okiya's small smile was replaced by a frown. No... They were going after them after all... He had hoped that those two would at least stay out of things but instead.. When the replacement officer passed him with the children, somehow he'd just known... Maybe it was the look that Kiyoiri seemed to have been making under the man's gaze, but something seemed off... And then the officer went missing. And now it seemed that Kiyoiri was gone as well.

Damn it... Clenching his fists, he made sure that the gun at his side was fully loaded before running off in the same direction along a separate route, watching as Conan and Koji both sped off on the former's skateboard once the boy had caught up to his friend. Shit... Things were not going to end well, were they...

Blind eyes seemed to stare off at all three people through the girl's hat, as Kira's smile quickly dissolved into a small frown. "Spirits of those who have long since passed... Protect them if you will..."

The sun was setting in the distance... And a clear sky showed that soon the only light source would be the full moon.

Perfect weather for an attack on those who lived by it.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: The Fourth Immortal**

Koji ran for the warehouse entrance the moment they arrived, Conan's call to make a plan first falling on oddly deaf ears. This.. This was the place where he and Kiyoiri had arrived... Slowing to a walk as he entered the building, he turned around swiftly as the doors shut behind both him and Conan, the later looking more than slightly annoyed about being ignored.

"Nice. We're locked in, and we don't have a plan... If I get shot Hisoka, I'm blaming _you_." A low whisper came from both boys, the two keeping their eyes and ears open for any one coming. The warehouse was dark, but there was still light coming from somewhere.. From what he could tell, it was somewhere to the left of them.

Koji simply frowned, glaring at Conan and crossing his arms. "Tch. You're the one who followed me, Megane-baka... Just shut up for now, I'm trying to figure out where Kiyoiri is..." The light could be a ruse.. Kiyoiri could very well be held somewhere completely different...

Conan leaned back slightly, staring at the ceiling for a few moments. ".... Oi, Hisoka... I'm going to come in from above. Something up there is really bugging me.." There were noises coming from above. Not loud ones, but enough to grab his attention.

Koji simply nodded, the noises echoing in his ears as well He turned to continue staring to the front of him from behind a large crate, not bothering to look at the boy to answer him. "Sure." Behind him, Conan's arms sprouted feathers before the boy disappeared all together, having used the air as leverage to jump onto the rafters above. Looking around, the soon spotted an area of the roof that wasn't as empty as the rest. He and Koji were lucky to have picked this entrance... Directly across from him, and completely unaware of his existence, was Chianti. "Tch...." He held his breath, looking down below him to see that Koji was already gone. Scanning the ground frantically, he soon spotted him. Awww shit...

Hiding behind the last box between a clear visual from both Chianti from above and Vodka from below was Koji. And tied to the chair next to Vodka, a gun held to her head, was Kiyoiri. Not good, not good.. Crouching in his position in the rafters however, Conan decided to stay put for the moment. If he flew out now, he'd be shot... Eyes turned back to Chianti, scanning the rafters near her before he smirked. There... That would work. Taking a few steps sideways along the rafters, he hoped to hell that Koji didn't do something stupid.

Back on the ground, this thought was mirrored by the very person Conan had been thinking of at the moment.

-_shhfff- _"Tch!" Vodka's head snapped towards the direction Koji sat in, the boy's eyes widening as unseen eyes looked at the box where he hid.

"Interesting... I made the call only a few minutes ago, and already Amaretto is here..." Amaretto That was Shindou though... Koji heard the safety click off on the gun, and he froze. Shit... "You'd better come out unarmed, Amaretto... Or not only you, but your so-called daughter her will be leaving with a bullet in your head..."

Koji swallowed. Damn... There went the element of surprise. Putting his hands up, he stepped out from behind the box, watching as Vodka's smug smirk slowly faded into a look of horror and shock. "Hmph!" He couldn't help but grin, the expression quite similar to when he used to be partners with the man. His eyes drifted towards Kiyoiri for a split second however, and the grin faltered slightly. She seemed to be sweating, breathing laboriously... Bastard... "Not what you expected, _Vodka_?"

Vodka also went white, his hands shaking slightly. "You... You're just a kid, how the hell did you get in here... How did you know I was called 'Vodka'?!" This had to be some sort of trick, a sick joke... Aiming his gun at Koji however, he decided that those facts didn't matter to the dead- Get the information, and then shoot.

"Scheherezade... Who knows. Maybe I was with you when you got the promotion? Maybe I asked you in your sleep? Or maybe... I've been calling you by that name for years and years, and you only forgot my own just now..." The grin reappeared, and Koji watched with mild amusement as Vodka went even whiter than before.

"Y-You... You..." He couldn't possibly know, he couldn't, he couldn't...

Koji sniffed the air, wincing in his mind as the grin remained fixed on his face. "Hmph! I see you've taken up smoking in my place, 'ototo'... How very much like you... Though you'll find I'm not to fond of 'Gin' and cigarettes now."

Vodka's face was the epitome of fury, as the boy in front of him simply smirked. Impossible.. Impossible! A year before, the head of Section 'C' of the organization received notice that their temporary replacement agent, in the field of chemical sciences, had died in a failed experiment. That was what they had been told, in any case, when asked exactly how one of the top agents 'Gin' had died. And here was this.. This _kid, _an exact miniature replica of his deceased former partner, mimicking the facial expression to a T! Vodka's hands shook, but he steadied them long enough to pull the trigger. "You smart-ass little brat!!"

-_**BAN!-**_ Had Kiyoiri's mouth not been completely closed off, she would have screamed. Had Conan not known that his friend could heal from a gunshot wound in a second, he would have been frozen in terror, not shock. Vodka grinned however, as Koji's body sailed backwards from the force of the bullet, watching as blood spilled to the ground before his eyes widened with fear.

"Hup!" As soon as Koji's arms were near the ground, they fell downwards into a 'handstand' position, and Koji flipped backwards to land on all fours. Smirking, he wiped some blood droplets from his face, eyes never once leaving Vodka's pale and sweaty one.

Impossible... Not even a scratch... Looking above, Vodka's shaking voice snapped Chianti from her shocked stupor. "Chianti! Fire!!"

"Ah!" Conan had expected her to use a sniper rifle, or even a small gun. But even then, a normal hand held weapon would have been out of place for the sniping specialist. Instead however, she pulled out a long range machine gun. She aimed... And fired it just as Conan realized he had no sleeping dart in his watch.

-_**BANBANBANBANBANBANBAN!**_-

-_**CLINKCLINKCLINKCLINKCLINKCLINKCLINK!**_

This time a muffled noise managed to break through Kiyoiri's gag, her eyes wide and brimming with tears as Koji's body rattled from the onslaught of bullets entering and exiting his body. Vodka stared, expressionless as smoke rose from the boxes destroyed behind him, while Conan looked around hurriedly for something to knock Chianti out with.

Everyone froze however, when another sound joined in with the constant ringing of a machine gun. "Ahahahaha... Hahaha... AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Maniacal, insane laughter escaped Koji, and Conan looked downwards with a mix of shock and fear. He could perfectly imagine the same shit-eating grin on his face right at that moment, blood covering his body and torn clothes, and he was _laughing._

He'd had a conversation with Koji a few days before, about Section F. The boy had found it odd, having spoken with Shindou and Kiyoiri multiple times, that people like them could have ever been a part of that world. Most especially Kiyoiri, who, for her mostly innocent demeanor, had supposedly killed from the moment she was 'born'.

Koji's response had simply been this. _'You'd be surprised, Megane... I don't think a single person in that section has a single scrap of sanity left._' He couldn't see Koji, but the boy's voice told him all he needed to know. While 'Gin' hadn't stayed at that place long, he had no doubt that _something_ just went loose in his head. Maybe it was a result of the section, or perhaps it was simply his own blood driving his other half. But whatever it was...

He spotted a brick, wincing as the still continuing noise of bullets and dripping blood became accompanied by 'What kind of monster are you!?' 'Kill him! Kill him!!'. A brick... The stench of smoke, gunpowder and blood was burning his nostrils, making him almost want to just jump down there and let his 'other half' go crazy on whatever was there. He needed to stop this.. He needed to stop this now he decided, before he did something stupid. One brick that would easily be supported with two hands... Chianti would probably survive the fall if he was careful with this... He picked up the brick, snuck up behind Chianti... and brought it down on her head as hard as he could.

"Ung!" She landed forwards, knocking the machine gun off its stand and into the water below, the woman herself following after it, instead landing on the plastic tarp of a boat. Conan winced. She was likely unconscious in any case, but the cover probably acted as a cushion. Unfortunately, while the currently collapsed and silent Koji was no longer under fire, he himself had been spotted.

The gun was pointed upwards without hesitation.

**-BAN!**- He managed to barely dodge the bullet, having jumped backwards before the gun was fired. Now however, it was not likely he would be so lucky. Damn... He wasn't supposed to die like this...

There was silence instead of a loud booming noise however, followed by noises of a struggle and finally a loud 'CRACK' noise... Followed by a loud slashing sound and a groan. Poking his head over the side, he went pale. Shindou had finally arrived, only to be knocked out cold by Vodka. And in the struggle, Kiyoiri had fallen under. "K-Kiyoiri-chan!" No longer bothering with strategy and avoiding bullets, Conan leaped down towards the water, legs and arms mutated into the form of a bird before looking below with even wider eyes.

Vodka as well followed his gaze, followed by the now conscious Chianti. The water surged and twisted before soaring upwards, Conan scarcely avoiding contact with the torrent before it cleared to reveal a stranger sight than even Conan's bizarre siren-like form. About 15 feet above the water she 'stood', if one could call it that. She had no legs after all, and her upper body, still human save for the enormous dorsal fin sprouting out from the crown of her head and down her back. Kiyoiri's arms dangled forwards, but rather than fins at the end of her hands she seemed to only have the rays, strengthened by her nails into cruel looking claws.

-_**BAN!**_- Kiyoiri's eyes opened wide with shock, as an oozing wound appeared below her midsection, the source of the sound being Chianti's backup weapon- A small, one hand gun. The girl 'stood' completely still, her eyes simply staring into space while her hair swished in front of her from the recoil of the gunshot. And then... Her eyes narrowed, her hands retracting the claws they had. Conan froze in place, almost unconsciously hovering in position as emotions radiated off the 'girl' in front of him.

_Hatred, Anger, Pain... Kill.. Kill... Kill... _Kiyoiri turned to Chianti with blank and wide eyes, the woman below shaking as she fired another round only for it to miss as her target deftly 'swam' around it. "Target, located." Vodka stood frozen as the girl leaned over with her hand held threateningly, Chianti firing blinding until there was nothing else to fire at Kiyoiri. "Initiate operation Alpha 01"

Eyes widened more as Kiyoiri fell faster than most could see, Chianti finding herself gored on a set of 10 sharp nails, the biological weapon extending them the moment her hands came in contact with the body. "K-Kuh!" Blood poured from the woman's mouth, the nails piercing her lungs through the small spaces in between her ribs, and above that her throat before Kiyoiri retracted the claws and let the body fall limp to the side.

And then she turned to Conan. "K-Kiyoiri-chan..." Blank eyes froze momentarily to the boy's surprise, but she continued moving forwards, swaying as blood dripped from her fingers and a strange gelatinous liquid slid down her body from the already healed gunshot wounds. She raised one of her hands to the side, slowly moving it towards Conan... "Kiyoiri-chan!"

The nails disappeared. "Unng..." But all to soon. Watching Vodka shake the shock off of himself, Conan swooped over to the girl and grabbed her by the arms. Pulling her towards the open dock entrance outside, he felt the weight disappear and silently thanked the fact that she had been wearing a skirt that day- It was still there, along with her shirt thank god... Arms flapped frenziedly, and he dared not look back- It was odd, however, how as he left, he could have sworn he heard frantic shouts from Vodka... But at least he wasn't being shot at for the moment.

Safely outside and a fair distance away, he laid Kiyoiri down on the ground, frowning at the girl's unconscious form. '_Peace.'_ Did she maybe have DID? Dissociative Identity Disorder? Or were her actions simply caused due to the stress of earlier? She had somehow gotten a hold of the 'last sample' of that poison too... He tensed as she woke up, the girl rubbing her eyes and looking around with confusion.

"Heh.... Where is this...? ...Hitai!" Kiyoiri grabbed her head in pain, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them slowly. Conan-kun? She frowned slightly, looking at him with confusion. "Conan-kun... What's going on...?"

He didn't like lying, he told himself as he hesitated. But right now... "Nothing is wrong, Kiyoiri-chan. Listen, I want you to take this, and get back home, neh?" He pulled a small badge out of the pockets of his shorts, handing it to Kiyoiri. "Just go for now, ok?" Watching the girl nod, he headed back to the warehouse, running on long, bird like legs and resembling some sort of avian faun. He didn't know what exactly he'd heard when he'd left with Kiyoiri...

But he swore that among the sounds was a growl...

And now, re-entering the warehouse from the side again, he heard unconscious chocking noises from near the water causing Conan's heart to stop momentarily. Suffocation was one of the few things aside from starvation that could kill them. And now... Running around the crates, he quickly took in what he saw. Vodka, one hand on Koji's throat, and a taser to the side. He was probably hit from the side, to keep both 'halves' from affecting the other.. In the man's other hand however was a gun, pointed at the unconscious form of Shindou.

He didn't have much time. Focusing on the gigantic size of the teratorn, he charged at Vodka's back with nothing but the full fury of his other half. Get Vodka off of Koji. Get Koji from the water. And then if need be... Do whatever it took to get Vodka out of commission. That was the last thing on his mind as he allowed his 'other half' to take over his actions.

"_**KEEER!**_"

"What the-" Before Vodka could finish gaping at the bird twice his size, clawed feet grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him off towards the other end of the building. Boxes crunched, and bits of rotted wood blew away from the impact, Vodka wincing and holding his back as he stood up to look at just what had hit him. "A...Ah...."

It was huge, that much he had known. But it could not possibly have existed in real life- Feet larger than diner plates stalked over towards him, the bird's wings spread out to increase its apparent size. Its feathers rose similar to hair on most animals when afraid, also creating a similar effect but certainly not out of fear of Vodka. But the most frightening thing was its face..

Human eyes, blue ones, identical to those he recalled from two years before, at an amusement park... Long when he had not had the ranking he did... Those eyes, fixed in the head of the beast were no longer frightened in his mind. They were cold, vengeful eyes... The entire image before him made it seem as though the organization's greatest threat had returned from the grave as some sort of demon. And as a beak that seemed to extend to form teeth at the sides opened yet again, Vodka slowly raised his gun to combat the bird.

"_**KEEEEEER!!**_"

"Die, _monster!"_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_'Turn around you little freak.. Or your friend over there gets it!' Vodka held the gun towards Shindou, the target of the bargain simply glaring at him with blue slit eyes._

_Koji had simply wiped his mouth, a poker face in effect as he spoke. 'Ah? And what makes you think I have anything to do with him then?' If he was lucky, than Vodka had paid as much attention to the people inside the house as he had two years before. If he wasn't..._

_'Aside from the fact that you're his 'nephew', and that you live in the same house as him? Not much. Though I'm beginning to doubt the relationship...' Damn. Vodka had wised up in the short span of time that he was gone... What the hell happened here?Though he had to say... Tenshi did her work well, __making all of those false records..._

_Nothing much he could do here. By the time he had enough power to knock Vodka out, Shindou would have a bullet through his skull. Eyes still glaring, Koji slowly turned around. As he did so, he swore he heard crackling..._

_-ZZTT!- "Guh!!" As he thought about what could have made those noises, the world went black..._

When he woke up, he heard the sounds of gunshots. His head felt as though it was on fire, and though it was covered in blood there was no wound. Probably healed now that he thought about it... Stumbling to his feet and holding his head, he listened as the blurred noises in the background slowly became clearer and clearer.

"_**KEEEEEEER!**_" What the- Still holding his head, Koji's eyes widened just slightly. An eagle? Why did he hear- Koji turned around slowly, swallowing nervously as his eyes followed the trail of blood and froze at the back of the warehouse.

-_**BAN! BAN!**_- Vodka fired his gun madly at the enormous bird in front of him, blood falling on him as Conan faltered only slightly. _**-BAN!**_ _Click!_- The bullets were gone... But the last shot hit home. Frozen in place, a slowly repairing hole in the center of his forehead, Conan soon keeled backwards, shrinking back to his original form and falling to the ground. Covered in the blood from wounds that were healing far to slowly for comfort, Koji stared, wide eyed as Vodka moved forwards. "And now, to make sure you don't miraculously come back like the other one..."

No. Blood was covering most of the warehouse, including the people inside it. The entire building reeked of death, Koji's teeth baring themselves almost against his will as he growled.

Almost.

'_He's going to kill everyone you know,_' his other half almost told him this, but through emotion and instinct rather than words. '_Are you really going to let him do that?_'

The growl deepened, and slit blue eyes stared at Vodka's back as stripes appeared across his face. Teeth sharpened, ears shifted to the top of his head, and his hair slowly began to match and fuse with the rest of his body as it grew. It was the snapping of his bones as they rearranged themselves that got Vodka to turn around in the end. But by that point, it was far to late.

"_**ROUUUUWWRGH!!**_" He leaped on top of the man, teeth bared and eyes wide with madness, Vodka barely having the chance to scream. Hands pushed against Koji's mouth, fruitlessly attempting to prevent the tiger from mauling him, but the hands were swatted away and Vodka's fingers snapped with the pressure Teeth dug into the man's neck, ears blocking out the cries of pain that would soon be blotted out anyways. Blood flew over his white face as Vodka's neck snapped, his body being flung around like a ragdoll.. Though a more accurate image would be a dog's chew toy really. Other bones cracked in contact with the concrete, Shaking, shaking... The man was beyond dead, but still he continued, appearing to almost enjoy what he was doing...

He almost dropped the corpse before his 'other half' urged him to grab another part of the body, repeating the process of shaking, tearing, destroying... Again, and again, pieces of flesh being torn off as they flew to the sides and splattered against the crates...

'_Wait..._' The thrashing stopped. Koji's eyes blinked out from blue to green, slowly moving down to the ragged mess of flesh held taught within his mouth. '_Mmb... Mb..._' The body was dropped quicker than the tiger could even think about what it was, backing away swiftly as he shifted back. Blood... Everywhere. Staring at Conan beside him, still unconscious, to Shindou at the other side of the room, also unconscious... And then looking over at Vodka's unidentifiable body. "Mmmb!" He covered his mouth with his hands, stomach swirling at the sight. Broken bones jutted out at odd angles, while bits of muscle and skin littered the floor around the body. There was an eyeball that had come loose, simply lying in front of the corpse as it seemed to stare back. Finally, he leaned over, allowing the remains of cake, blood, pizza, and human flesh to spill out from his mouth, his throat burning as it healed over during the process.

He fell to his knees, numbly feeling the wetness of the blood as he stared at the ground in shock. He'd killed many people before, many people... Always, he'd forgotten their faces, their names...

Vodka's face and final screams burned into his mind, Koji's hands gripping his head as he tried to erase the images from it. With his hands.. No, not even that, with his god damned mouth! The taste of blood was still in his mouth even now... Looking around the room, tears began falling from his eyes. What had he done... What had he...

...He was just a killer in the end, after all... Like he'd spent years doing, spent years practicing... Eyes drifted over to the dark water where the boat sat, and where Chianti's body hung precariously over the edge before his eyes widened with worry rather than fear and shock.

Kiyoiri. He shot up, the fact that his clothes tore once he'd become a tiger still lost to his mind. Kiyoiri, where was Kiyoi-

"If you're looking for Kiyoiri-chan, she's safe Koji-kun..." Koji's head whipped around, bloody and matted hair sticking to his back as wide eyes simply stared at who had arrived. O... Okiya? He was silent as the man took a few steps in, narrowed eyes scanning the aftermath of the bloodbath that had taken place just moments ago. "...She's at Agasa's, and she is more than safe..." He walked forwards, motioning over to Conan and handing Koji a towel he'd been holding. Take Conan, and sit on that in the back of the car- And keep down low. I've held off the police for now with some well placed calls, but those will only last so long..." Okiya continued to walk towards Shindou, hoisting him over his shoulder and heading back towards the way he'd come.

Koji however, simply watched, the towel hanging in his hands. He understood what Okiya meant of course, the towel to keep blood from the seats, to prevent any evidence, but... The boy's nose twitched slightly. He smelled of Vodka... A subtle scent, likely from having the man sit in his car a week before and no shorter. But more importantly, he also smelled of Chianti's bullets, a scent he'd had run through him multiple times minutes before. "Why are you helping me?" This was the one who had sold them out, but the one who had been turned on at the last moment. He assumed so at least... Even then, Okiya should have been on the run by now, lest he be shot down on sight. So why was he here? "You know who I am, don't you? And there's no doubt that you know what happened here."

Okiya's poker face confirmed his last statement, the man turning to look down at Koji before speaking. "Maybe so, but I, who have done so much in the past cannot amend my sins by simply passing by. The fact that you acknowledge what you've done shows that you want to amend yours as well, neh?" He adjusted Shindou's form, before continuing outside. "Please hurry, Koji... I still need to douse this place in motor oil so that it burns properly... We can't have anyone finding this, after all... And motor oil could easily be linked to the boat as a fire source. The building itself takes care of the rest, neh?"

He nodded. Walking over to Conan, he shifted the towel slightly before hoisting the boy on his shoulders and walking out after Okiya.

A few moments later, the police would arrive to the warehouse after a 911 call from a 'woman' visiting Tokyo, who had passed the building and spotted flames. The fire department would arrive, but by the time they were there the motor boat inside would have exploded from the flames, the bodies reduced to ash like the rest of the crates. The blood dried and flaked away, the ashes mixed and turned to mush when hoses were turned on to water the flames down. The cheap lead bullets and bullet casings that had covered the floor before were melted from the heat, the molten metal floating around on the concrete before they too mixed into the water and washed down into the ocean at gravity's expense.

The only remaining proof that anyone had ever been their now lay at the mercy of the ocean, floating along the currents as small fish darted around and through them. Larger fish would eventually try and eat them perhaps, until a few would find them caught in their intestines to die and float to the top... Perhaps they would be fished out, dissected, and seen as another example of why people should not litter the oceans.. Or perhaps they too would be devoured by other fish... There was no certain path for the scraps of clothing that floated around in the water, the clothing which had become washed of all the blood of the earlier events.

Just as there was no certain path for those who had, according to the evidence, never been there....


	23. Final Chapter

**Epilogue**

Sun filtered through the curtains of the room as a small breeze floated by. The scent of food from the first floor floated through it, so Shindou was likely cooking breakfast again. It had been about three days since the assault on the agents of the Black Org- And in the end, the two agents they had dealt with severed all but one tie with the group in terms of the attack- And that tie was their goal of killing Okiya. Anything else concerning them was unknown to those ranking above Vodka, Bourbon and Chianti... There was no more information to go on in order to continue the task of shutting the organization down, at least not on their end... The FBI had a new ally in any case, thanks to Okiya.

But really, Koji thought as he stared out the window and at the house across from them and into the dark empty room within it, things had just barely worked out for them. Looking back at the bed in the room, he sighed. Three days... And he was still out like a light. Taking a seat in the chair next to his desk, Koji frowned. This was getting a bit worrisome... If Conan was unconscious for much longer, they would have to go into a hospital- But they would instantly notice when none of the drugs or cuts made had any effect on him.

"Ng..." Koji's face shot up from the ground, eyes focused on the once motionless lump in the bed. The boy stirred, blurry vision soon correcting itself as a completely blue surrounding was made clear. Blue... The ceiling in his old house... Conan's eyes shot wide open, the boy jerking up into the sitting position to look around before spotting Koji. "Wh-What... Where..." His breathing slowed down slightly, as the boy calmed down enough to get a solid question out. "What happened?"

Koji simply shrugged, as though trying to hide something. "...You were knocked out... You've been out for a few days now in fact... Had everyone worried."

Everyone? Then... Conan sighed in relief, flopping back onto the bed to look at the ceiling again. That was good... Wait, if Shindou, Kiyoiri, AND Koji had been there, then how- "...Hisoka, how did we get back here without being seen...?"

"Okiya." After that single word, Conan went pale again. Okiya did? But how did he even know where they were at the time? Unless... The boy's thoughts trailed to all those times that Ai had warned him of the man, that she had insisted he check for bugs within his own house...

All those times... And she was likely correct. "Then, Okiya was..."

"Codename 'Bourbon'. After sending information on the reportedly dead 'Amaretto', it had been decided he would be taken out, due to the increasing risk of his position being compromised... Supposedly, no one knew if Shindou had already given up information on him, so, rather than waste their few resources to find out, they chose the easy way out..."

He couldn't believe this... If he'd just listened to Ai then-

"If you're thinking what I think you are, don't... You probably wouldn't have made it here if it wasn't for him anyways. You don't have to talk to him about it either... He's currently working with the FBI on taking out the remaining sections in the org. We won't likely see him for a while..."

Conan nodded stiffly, sitting up again and looking over at Koji. "Ah... ....And.. What happened to Kiyoiri-chan then? She's alright?" Something had happened in there.. Had Koji seen? Or had he been unconscious the entire time?

"Yea... Okiya said he picked her up earlier..." He crossed his arms, frowning. "However... When I spoke to him on the way back about how she was... He said that she seemed to be 'torn', in two places at once. She couldn't remember what happened, and was going on about fish.."

The boy coughed, turning away. "That.. Would be because Kiyoiri found the sample you hid from us. She took the partial form of an oarfish and..." Should he really say this now? Give him the knowledge of something that they couldn't give Kiyoiri anyways?

Koji frowned at the mention of the last poison, his eyes closing partially. "She ate the last one huh..." Damn... He couldn't very well help her much with things if it was a fish... Realizing that Conan was, for once, struggling to say something. "Oi oi Megane... Spit it out already..."

"Kiyoiri-chan has DID." Koji's face went blank at those words, his eyes uncharacteristically wide in a look that would have been humorous in other circumstances. "The moment she fell into the water and the poison activated, he personality switched around completely. I managed to stop her before she got to us, but Chianti... She had the misfortune of being the first to realize her healing abilities..." Conan frowned as he recalled the fuzzy memory, his head still recovering even now from the events of the night before. "She spoke in monotone, like a computer... Saying she was initiating 'operation Alpha 01'. What exactly is-"

Koji's eyes narrowed to slits, the boy gritting his teeth as the clear memory of 'Genesis' files came into his mind.. "'Alpha 01'... That was in one of the files that Tenshi left me when we escaped; Along with Kiyoiri's information, it held a record of 'operation techniques'. The first, 'Alpha' was for drastic situations, a 'kill or be killed' kind of thing. Next was Beta, for combat, with the list going through the Greek alphabet, covering things such as on-water missions and poisonings. But the number was meant to refer to what weapon she used... It was an extremely detailed file, there were hundreds there... But '01' was for a stiletto, a switchblade." As he said this, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. How would a fish transformation be able to do that? Fish, save for those with teeth, couldn't stab, tear.. They couldn't do anything, aside from maybe shocking or poisoning their attackers. And even then, an oarfish? Those were one of the most pathetic of large fish!

As though reading his mind, Conan answered. "So then, by retracting and regrowing the rays of the fin, without creating the skin between it, she mimicked that style of kill..." He stopped there, swallowing. It felt just plain... Disturbing, talking about someone who was normally comparable to Ayumi in this way. The two girls had once tried to fool the rest of the class by tying their hair up into a bun, and keeping other from looking to hard at their eyes- So long as one didn't look to close and notice that one had grey eyes and the other blue, it was rather difficult to tell.

Granted, Koji was able to tell from the start by scent, but nonetheless... "I think.. I think that it was the gunshots and screams that triggered it. After a certain point, she probably couldn't take the stress anymore, calling for a form of herself that was once devoid of emotion, dedicated to ridding herself of danger..."

Koji nodded, his eyes distant. What Conan said next however, snapped his attention back to the glasses wearing boy. "It's not unlike you I think."

"I am _not_ insane."

Conan gave him a look that was not only dead serious, but not at all in the mood for screwing around on the topic. "Really? Then tell me when you lost consciousness, and when you came to."

"......." He opened his mouth as if to say something, but just as quickly felt himself close it. He couldn't remember... That wasn't at all normal, he was normally able to remember those sorts of things with the drop of a hat, it was the main reason he forced himself to forget faces so much- If he didn't he'd end up thinking about it all the time, and he'd become distracted from-

Conan's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Hn. Because after Chianti began firing at you with that machine gun... You lost it completely. You weren't simply taking the shots to distract them anymore- You looked like you were _enjoying_ it." His look deepened into a mix of anger and sorrow, fists clenching the blanket tightly. "You didn't stop laughing until the bullets stopped, when you fell over from exhaustion!"

"Well then great, Megane! You've proven I'm insane, what a wonderful achievement!" Koji stood up from his chair, clenching his fists as well. "Now what the hell do you think I'm supposed to do about it huh? Go to a hospital? Wonder how they'll react when they find an immortal on their steps?"

He chuckled cynically, shaking his head. "As if... All I'm saying is that you should at least try not to run into things like machine guns- Because while you may be 'immortal' Hisoka, you sure as hell aren't impenetrable. And the last thing I need is you doing something you'll regret for some reason."

"....Too late for that, Megane..." Koji turned away, arms resting on the sill of the window as his eyes became distant yet again. "Too damn late."

Conan frowned, watching his friend turn from him. "...Too late? Hisoka, what.." He'd called him by name again. Whether it was conscious or not though, it didn't really matter right now. Too late? Then, while he was knocked out...

"After you lost consciousness, I came to and smelled blood. I saw you knocked out to the side, with Vodka preparing to suffocate you. I saw Shindou out cold at the other end of the room. I..." The words were hard to choose, hard to form really. Pulling up the memory threatened to make him sick again, even though he hadn't eaten anything yet that day. "I... I snapped. I shifted into the form of a tiger and did what a tiger does when you piss if off."

His eyes widened, frown being replaced with a look of horror. Holy shit... He... He ate-

"I can still see it perfectly, you know? I can hear his screams before his neck snapped, before his bones cracked on the pavement with it... I can taste his blood, his flesh..." Koji went green, nails digging into his arms as he continued. Better to tell the detective before he finds out himself after all. "When I regained myself, I had been throwing him around like some kind of toy!"

What Conan said next, he instantly regretted. ".....That's like you, huh, 'Gin'?" The boy's eyes were narrowed when he said that, but when Koji looked up at him, the glare softened. It wasn't the look that did it... But the body language gave away so many mixed emotions at that time... Sadness? Hatred... For himself? Grief, mourning, sorrow, loyalty, betrayal...

"I suppose.. I suppose it is. I've done some disgusting things in the past... Things that I've regretted only recently... But that alone..." He drew a shaky breath, head laying face down on his arms. "I think that face alone is one that won't be erased from my mind in death..."

Conan turned away, unwilling to be subject to the emotional ski-trip that Koji was currently having. Completely down hill it was... What was the world coming to, really? Him feeling sorry for the one who had tried to kill him multiple times, the one he'd been ruthlessly chasing down for the past two years? You couldn't feel empathy for things like this- Only sympathy. You didn't _want_ to feel empathy about things like this. It was one of those things that you simply shook your head and patted them on the back for. And yet...

"That was uncalled for. Gomen nasai, Hisoka." Through the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Koji nod stiffly, turning away with feelings of thankfulness, but a face that made him appear indifferent to what he said. He had so silently chuckle at that really- Even at a time like this, the idiot was stubbornly trying to care less about what he thought.

Koji however, then turned with a soft smile that seemed out of place on the once assassin. "Hm. Apology accepted, Edogawa." Looks like just this once, he could remember his name. Only this once. "....You had visitors earlier, by the way..." He motioned over to the table next to Conan, a small stack of gifts and cards piled on it, along with a vase of flowers.

"Most of them think you're just sick of course... It's not like we could tell them what really happened eh?" A harsh laugh came after this, but he quieted it quickly. "You have a lot of people looking out for you Megane... You should be grateful."

Conan frowned slightly. Was that a bit of grief coming out again? The feeling was quickly replaced by one of 'plotting', Koji walking over to the pile of cards and carefully snatching up the one with flowers scribbled over it. "But seriously, some of the cards you're getting... Take this one from Ayumi-chan for example!" He coughed, Conan sighing as the obligatory reading-of-the-embarrassing-cards began.

"'_To Conan-kun. I hope you get better really soon! It's not fun at school without you! Please get better before the school festival especially! I wanted to go to it with you!'_ Mah mah.... Looks like your friend has a crush neh?" Watching Conan's expression go slightly green with exasperation, he laughed, tossing him the card. "Ahaha! Geeze you're easy to fool.. She's going with Tsuburaya!"

Eh? So then Ayumi had never had a crush on him? Sheesh, all those glares from Mitsuhiko and Genta...

"She did apparently like you for a while though... At least according to Kiyoiri..." Oh god damn it... "There is someone else you might be interested in though..." He grabbed another card, Conan sending him a look of loathing over when an odd grin went over his face. "Sheesh, I'm not making this one up!"

Unfolding it carefully, he didn't read it. Instead, he handed it to Conan carefully, holding it like he had Kiyoiri's bag when she couldn't carry it, like he had when carrying her around the school yard piggy-back in order to reach something in the tree. Looking inside the cover, the handwriting stood out instantly.

It was neat, and precise, like it was when she wrote notes, be it for school or for her 'work'. Carefully written, and accompanied with a small sketch of a phoenix, her card was somewhat touching really.. And then suddenly it was upsetting.

'_Conan-kun._

_I heard about the incident from Kiyoiri-chan and Hisoka-kun two days ago- Really, running into a situation like that... You are a fool far too often, for someone once known as the 'Heisei Holmes'. _

_You had me worried, Conan-kun. Lying in the bed, we couldn't send you to a hospital after all... I did what I could to help however, and hopefully you can read this before I am unable to help anymore._

_It is too dangerous for you, if I stay here. It was I who caught the attention of them in the first place after all. I will be leaving with your parents until things die down- Until I can safely say that you, nor those who really would die from those injuries, will be hunted by them._

_My plane leaves on the 7__th__ of May, at 10:00 AM. I hope to see you there, Conan-kun._

_- Haibara Ai'_

He looked up from the note pale, having spotted the 'day by day' calendar when he'd woken up- It was Friday the 7th of May... "Hisoka... What time is it?"

Koji simply grinned. "Time? 9:30. Driving through the streets right now would be murder though, Megane.... But maybe if you skip the details such as buildings and roads, you can still make it neh?"

For once, he had to thank the guy- Because honestly, in the state of mind he was in right now, he probably wouldn't have thought of that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She waited in the airport, looking at the clock with an cold and distant eye. Tapping her foot, the girl sighed and stood from her chair, looking up at Yukiko with a seemingly emotionless glance. Yukiko however, simply smiled. "Don't worry neh, Ai-chan? If there's one thing I know about my son, it's that he's _never_ late!"

This gained a sigh of annoyance from Ai, as well as a nervous cough from Yuusaku behind them. Obviously, Ran had never told the woman about when he came two hours late for a date...

Still, there was nothing they could do. If he was still sick, then they couldn't really force him to come. When Shindou had told them about that however... Yuusaku frowned slightly as the minutes ticked away, the clock now reading '9:45'. It seemed as though he was lying really- That their son had caught a cold now of all times, and that it was so harsh he was unable to leave his bed for three days in a row.

He had come in to see him of course, when he had been asked if he could take Ai with him to the states, but he had been sleeping. Another boy had sat in the room across, a boy he hadn't recognized. When Yuusaku had asked who he was, the long-haired boy (Who he initially mistook for a girl from behind, sad to say.) simply said he was a friend from school, and Shindou's nephew.

His nephew? He'd known that Shindou had a daughter, from a few calls from the man when he had excitedly told them he'd 'regained custody of his daughter', named Kiyoiri. And in all honesty, the girl seemed rather sweet, in a way that rather reminded him of when his own son was younger. But while she genuinely believed that Conan was sick with the flu, everyone else in the house seemed to be hiding something.

And he knew that Ai knew. Still... He chose not to ask, preferring that his son tell him when he was ready. It wasn't as though it could be as life-changing as the 'Shrinking' incident after all, right? He may have given up on a cure, but aside from that, he was now living out life normally right?

9:50. Ai stood up from her chair, Yukiko and Yuusaku helping her with her bags as they walked towards the entrance to their plane. The plane would take off in ten minutes... They handed the attendant their tickets, and soon, preparing to follow after the two adults, Ai turned around to give one last wistful look at the direction of the airport entrance. He would know where she was right? He knew, after all, from Yuusaku's card, where she would be boarding the plane.

9:55. She turned around sadly, taking a step towards the walkway.

"Ch-Chotto!" Ai turned swiftly, watching with surprise and happiness as a familiar boy in over sized glasses came belting down towards where she stood. He stopped directly in front of her, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. The girl watched as a few feathers fell from inside his jersey, smiling slightly. So that was how neh?

She shook her head, retaining her look of indifference. "Really, Conan-kun... Any longer, and you would have missed me by a few seconds..." The look could not be held long though, and she soon found herself smiling again.

That odd feeling was there again. Conan laughed slightly though his panting, his pulse slowly steadying itself as he regained a normal breathing rate as he looked at Ai with a slightly annoyed look. "Hahaha... It's not my fault.. Hisoka took a bit long to explain everything... Besides..." What was that feeling, that he'd felt from so many people towards others? From Takagi when he thought of Satou, from Shindou when he mentioned Tenshi... From Ayumi and Mitsuhiko when-

That was... He couldn't hide the look of realization as it dawned on him, Ai frowning slightly as the boy across from her did so.

"Besides what, Conan-kun? ....I have a plane to catch you know..."

Conan nodded. "I know. I just..." He was standing awkwardly close to Ai now that he noticed- In his mad dash, he seemed to have skidded to a stop directly next to her. A deep blush was already across his face, a much lighter one across Ai's. "I... Haibara?"

"Hm?"

"Can you... Close your eyes?"

Ai blinked, looking at Conan quizzically, but doing so nonetheless. "Very well, Conan-kun... You better hur-" The girl was cut off, a light, soft feeling brushing across her lips before it left just as quickly. "What..."

When she opened her eyes, Conan was blushing madly. "G-Good luck.. Haibara."

She blinked, before smiling softly and leaning over to leave a light kiss on the boy's cheek. "Same to you, Conan-kun. And please... It's 'Ai'." With that, she left for her plane, leaving a stunned and confused boy in her wake. What was it that he'd done just there? What had he just done...

A few minutes later, Ai watched as a raven flew past her window, before soaring into the sky and away from the airport, lest it be caught in the turbines of the enormous machine. Knowing him, she thought, he probably blamed the bird... But she knew better really...

They would take this one step at a time, this strange thread that was becoming woven between them. Perhaps, when Kira had mentioned 'catching the fire spirit', she had referred to the form of the 'Suzaku'... Flying free through the sky, unhindered by any problems. "I won't hold you back, Conan-kun... Someday, I won't have to be an ocean apart to do so..."

The plane took off...

And with that, a new day started, each person not knowing just what would happen to them next. All they knew was that, no matter what...

They would be prepared.

_End_


End file.
